Edgedancer of Madness
by Enygma1920
Summary: PH/Now AU. 5 yrs ago Ginny left England to escape the shadow of her former life.When she does return, she harbors many secrets.Will Ginny conquor her new demons?Will Harry's questions be answered? or will Ginny continue to dance on the edge of madness
1. Chapter 1

Edgedancer of Madness

By Enygma1920

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters; they are all from the mind of J.K. Rowling.

* * *

Chapter One: Deviated Paths

"That will be two pints of best, one banger and mash, two butterbeers, and one steak and kidney pie." The table nodded in unison. Shoving the quill in her bun, Ginny left the table to place the order. The usual pub banter of the Leaky Cauldron was replaced with the boisterous conversations of Wimbourne Wasps' fans celebrating their victory over fierce rivals, the Appleby Arrows.

Carrying a tray high above her head, she dodged in and out of crowd, serving her tables. She gracefully sat the drinks down with a smile. "Here you go, six pints of ale and one butterbeer. Will that be all?"

"Hey, Red," someone barked, from a nearby table. Excusing herself, she strode over to the table in question, wiping her hands off on her apron. "Yes?" she said.

"How much for a bottle of Firewhiskey?" he asked.

"Four Galleons," she answered.

The man looked around to his friends, nodding. His head turned, grinning, "Fine, we'll take three bottles. Before you leave, how much for some personal time with you?" His eyebrows waggled.

A chorus of low chuckles greeted her ears. Ginny pushed her fist onto her hip. "Well, let's see. Considering there are twelve of you, and you can only afford three bottles," she said, calculating an answer, "you can't even afford the time I'm giving you right now."

A chorus of laughter followed her as she swirled away from the table. A sharp slap stopped her retreat. "That's okay, I like my women feisty!" The table erupted in laughter. "Now, get our drinks!"

Ginny huffed off, swerving through the crowd. Her face was growing hotter from embarrassment. "Insufferable git," she muttered, slamming her tray down on the bar. "I've had it with this lot; Tom, I'm going home."

Before Tom could protest, Ginny took out her wand and Apparated to the Burrow.

* * *

She stood just outside the door trying to control her breathing. A low sighed escaped, rubbing her hands over her face. _Don't let those prats get to you_, she told herself. Ginny sat down on the steps. _No need to go in there looking upset, everyone will just ask more questions I don't feel like answering._ Instead, Ginny sat down and began counting. It took counting to five hundred and fifteen before she was able to safely open the door.

Ginny entered the house shrugging her shoulders, intensifying the dull ache from the additional mugs she had carried that day. She would have to remember to let Tom know that Quidditch matches were off her schedule for good. Ginny entered the kitchen and leaned against the doorframe. She watched her mother in her element, preparing dinner. She waved her wand in a systematic order that could only have been refined after years of cooking for the Weasley brood. Ginny wanted to laugh while observing her future, but instead, opted to clear her throat to announce her presence.

"Ahem, Mum?"

Molly looked into her daughter's brown eyes; she looked off color these days. Even her infamous red mane seemed to lack its previous luster and color. Her appearance reminded Molly of the summer after her first year.

"Ginny, dear, I didn't know you were home. Could you please help me get the table set for supper? Your brother is de-gnoming the garden for me." Molly glanced out the window, trying to spot Ron.

"Of course, Mum." Rolling up her sleeves, Ginny began to gather the dishes. Opening the back door, her eyes squinted for relief from the intensity of the summer sun. Feeling the sun radiate down on her shoulders was a warm reception; she disliked that her job often kept her inside on beautiful days. Ginny smiled at the thought of relaxing, for once, and began to set the table. She heard a soft _pop_ behind her, announcing she was not alone. "Hi, Hermione."

Hermione stepped up from behind. Ginny laughed; Hermione looked imprisoned by her robes, trying desperately to claw her way out. She eventually succeeded when Ginny offered her a hand.

Hermione threw her robes down on the table in a twisted clump and wiped her forehead. "I swear it wasn't this warm when I left for the office this morning. I was baking in those bloody robes." She turned to see Ginny still in her pub attire. "Why are you still in those trousers?"

Hermione's face was flushed, her brown hair clipped haphazardly back from her face.

"I'm a little warm, but after spending a day running around the Leaky Cauldron... this is paradise," Ginny replied, waving her hand towards the yard.

"Oh, Ginny! I forgot you had to work today, and there was a Quidditch match, too." Her eyebrows rose. "It must have been...chaotic."

Ginny grinned at her. "More like the tenth level of hell." She moved to finish setting the table.

"So, Gin, who won the--"

Hermione never finished her thought. Ginny glanced up to see if something was wrong. But from the grin and flush on her face, Ginny was all too familiar with the reason. Ron was walking up the hill with his broom over his shoulder; his hair was ablaze with the setting sun at his back; his hands went to his shirt to wipe the sweat off his brow.

Ginny glanced up at Hermione. "Earth to Hermione?"

Hermione's eyes faltered, but she didn't acknowledge Ginny; a sheepish grin was the only response she received. Ginny rolled her eyes as Hermione leapt and ran towards Ron. When he finally looked up and saw his girlfriend sprinting towards him, he turned, swallowing her in his arms.

_Must be nice,_ Ginny thought bitterly. _Don't they get enough of each other?_ Ginny knew better than to stick around for the display of their affections. She headed back towards the kitchen to help her mum with supper.

As she entered, her thoughts were drawn back to the happy couple outside. Of course she was happy for Ron and Hermione; Hermione was like a sister to her. They both deserved each other. She didn't mind their display of affection, but it did get nauseating after a while. He was still 'Ronnikins' to her. To see their affection and love only made things more difficult for Ginny to face her own faltering love life. If she got chatted up one more time by a pissed wizard that didn't understand the meaning of "No", she was going to pummel someone with a bottle of Firewhiskey.

After the day she had had at the Leaky Cauldron, and seeing her brother lost in love, all she needed right now was for _him_ to turn up. She rubbed her sore bum, walking back towards the door. When she saw whom Ron was talking to, it didn't seem possible for her day to worsen.

There _he_ was, leaning into his conversation with Ron. The object of her long misguided and unnoticed affections, he hadn't changed much since Hogwarts. His black hair was still unruly, and he had grown maybe four inches taller, but to her, he was the same boy that could make her blush like a first year with one flash of his smile. Ginny rarely saw that brilliant smile well, not since the spring of her fifth year. If she was lucky, she might catch a glimpse of it every now and then, but they were no longer directed at her. They were _her_ smiles now.

Ginny became conscious that she hadn't moved to place the salad down, when he looked over at her, and those green eyes ensnared her.

He smiled briefly. "Hey, Gin." He got up and walked over towards her. "Here, let me help."

"Hey, Harry." Ginny's faced flushed out of habit; she clumsily handed over the salad bowl. "Thanks." _Damn it! Can't wait two seconds to make an arse out of yourself, can you, Ginevra?_

He grinned at her and walked to the opposite side of the table; Ginny felt her chest tighten. She _slowly_ moved back towards the kitchen and counted to ten. The tight grip of emotion loosened, and her stomach calmed down. Her talent of keeping her emotions in order around Harry had improved with age, but there were still minor slip-ups, sometimes. She long ago swore that she would never make a fool of herself in front of him: blushing, giggling, losing the ability to speak; however, no matter how hard she tried, she was rarely successful. Ginny breathed in, stuck her chin out, and walked back outside. Hell, she was 18 years old! _Not some first year with a crush on the Boy-Who-Lived. I mean it was 'just' Harry, after all. You're contradicting yourself!_ the little voice in her head piped up. _He will never be 'just' Harry to you._ Ginny shook her head, trying to ignore the voice as she proceeded out the door with the next set of dishes.

As the door closed, a loud crash erupted behind her from inside the Burrow.

"FRED! GEORGE!"

"Looks like the twins have arrived," said Hermione, looking up at the Burrow. "Wonder what they've blown up, this time."

"Who cares; I'm starving," Ron replied, rubbing his stomach. "The chicken smells delicious."

Ginny smiled. _Seems Ron still had a knack for always being hungry_. Even during the war, Ron's hunger never wavered. Ginny sat down at the table and examined everyone as they took their respective seats. Harry detoured from his old seat next to her to find a seat for Danielle and himself at the other end of the table with Ron and Hermione. Ginny's eyes narrowed as both of them got up to allow room for the extra guest. The small voice in her head spoke up. _Don't do this to yourself; you're better than this._ Ginny had to agree, she _was_ better than that and nothing was going to upset her supper after the day she had had. She watched as the twins sat down with Bill and a very pregnant Fleur. Bill smiled as he took the abandoned seat next to Ginny, nudging her in the ribs. Ginny tucked in, turning to Bill. "Pass the rolls, please."

Dinner was an active one, which made it easier for Ginny to sit back to observe it all. She discovered since working at the tavern that one gained more knowledge of situation by just sitting back and watching. It was a favorite activity of hers when conversation waned. She leaned back and began to take mental notes.

Fred and George were huddled in a corner having a hushed conversation, giving wayward glances to see if anyone noticed them. Bill was leaning over her dad, discussing something in great detail from the constant tapping of his finger on the table. And Fleur, sitting on his left, was talking to her mum very excitedly while rubbing her pregnant belly.

Ginny smirked as she caught the end of a joke Ron was telling Harry, both bent over laughing; Hermione, sitting next to him, was talking intimately to Danielle. Ginny's eyes narrowed as Danielle's hand became entangled in the black spikes of Harry's hair, calmly answering Hermione. Ginny cringed at the nonchalant gestures and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Are you okay, dear?" Ginny looked to meet her mother's concerned eyes.

"I'm fine. I'll just... go for a walk." Ginny stood up and left the table un-noticed.

As she walked, the feeling in the pit of her stomach worsened. She hated to let trivial gestures bother her, yet, they still did. As she continued to trudge toward the pond, Ginny's thoughts wandered back to the short time they had dated in her fifth year. She beamed from the memory. For that short amount of time she had spent with Harry, her world was close to perfect. The night of the attack on Hogwarts threw Ginny's and everyone else's world into upheaval. The death of Dumbledore had been a shock for everyone, but Harry had taken it the hardest. She wasn't surprised at the funeral when he acted noble and ended their relationship for her own safety. Even though it was expected, didn't mean it hadn't hurt. When the final battle approached, nothing was going to stop Ginny from helping. Against Harry's wishes, she was at the final encounter. She fought bravely, but was knocked unconscious by a stray curse. When she regained consciousness, she saw Voldemort laying crumpled at Harry's feet. The war was over; Harry had defeated Voldemort.

The wizarding world had rejoiced the end of dark times and celebrated Harry as a savior. Guilt wracked Harry; there had been numerous wizards and witches lost during the war, and being himself, he took full brunt of the responsibility. The answer to the guilt was a Firewhiskey bottle. It began with a few drinks during meals and slowly escalated from there. That was the beginning of the dark descent into depression and self-destructive behavior. Ginny shuddered thinking of those unhappy times. Everyone had his or her own demons to face after the war; Harry's just seemed to be crueler and more violent. It wasn't a time period Ginny liked to ruminate on too often. She had a first hand experience of his demons and had the emotional scars to prove it.

In spite of his demon's personal assault on everyone, Ginny's love made her strong for Harry. When he was piss drunk, hurling insults, and being downright destructive, she didn't give up. She knew Harry needed someone; he needed her. He had carried the weight of the wizarding world on his shoulders for most of his life. He was the Boy-Who-Lived and he had conquered the Dark Lord and didn't know how to adjust. Ginny was there for him, whether he had known it or not. Deep down, Ginny knew she would always be there.

She found herself sitting on the edge of the pond throwing stones when the voice spoke in her head, _Maybe that's where you went wrong; you were ALWAYS there_. It didn't seem plausible, but in retrospect, maybe she had made herself almost too readily available for Harry. When he needed to talk, Ginny would drop everything to be there. If he drank himself into a drunken stupor, she would stay there with him. Instead of him growing dependent on her, she had grown dependent on him needing her. _How could I, have been so naïve,_ Ginny thought. _What did I think? That he **really** needed me?_ She pursed her lips. Although it never occurred to her when she was always around, Harry could be happy without her?

A light snap broke the silence surrounding the pond. Ginny didn't even have to look to know who stepped up behind her.

"Hi, Hermione," she said.

Hermione looked over at her. "How did you know it was me? I barely made any noise."

Ginny turned to smile at her friend. "Easy. One: Ron makes too much noise when he moves around; two: Harry makes no noise, but his cologne that always gives him away; three: out of everyone at dinner tonight, I knew you would be the only person to notice that I left." Ginny stood tossing another rock into the pond.

Hermione's brow furrowed; she was concerned about Ginny. She wasn't the only one to notice the slow change in Ginny's attitude.

"Hermione?" Ginny, asked.

Hermione was snapped back from her thoughts to see Ginny studying her. "Yes?"

"Can I ask you a question?" Ginny's hand reached up to rub her neck.

Hermione's eyes were trained on her friend; maybe Ginny was finally ready to talk. "Of course," she said.

Ginny turned to face her friend before she lost the nerve to ask. "Do you--Do you think I'm an idiot?"

The question struck Hermione as odd; this was not what she expected to hear when Ginny finally chose to open up.

"What do you mean, Gin?"

Ginny sighed, she knew this wasn't going to be easy, but she would rather make this confession to Hermione than anyone else.

Ginny nervously twisted her fingers. "Do you think I'm an idiot for--for revolving my life around Harry's wellbeing?"

Hermione was taken aback by this confession. She had observed it from afar, but was unsure if Ginny was aware of what she was doing.

Ginny looked off to her side before speaking, "I'm not happy, Hermione; actually, I'm disgusted with myself."

Hermione's mouth opened to protest, but Ginny shook her head to stop her. "I'm an idiot, Hermione; I've let myself regress, and I can only blame myself."

"But what do you mean?"

Their eyes met. "I meant, what happened to the confident, independent Ginny Weasley that could achieve anything she put her mind to." Ginny sat down with her head in her hands. "To being a subservient barmaid, slinging drinks at the Leaky Cauldron and achieving nothing in my life," she confessed.

Hermione watched as her shoulders began to shake. "Oh, Gin, there's nothing wrong with the Leaky Cauldron; it's a really nice place."

"Yes, there is, Hermione," she snapped. "I've wasted all my hard work and for what? Nothing, I've settled, and I hate it. Everyone is going on to pursue their lives, while I'm running around the Cauldron six days a week."

Ginny got up abruptly, almost knocking Hermione over, and began to pace, "Everyone is going on with their life, while I have put my own on hold, because I can't get out of my thick head the idea Harry may still need me, someday."

Hermione's eyes widened. The truth was out. Ginny had long denied that Harry had any effect on her life decisions, but Hermione knew better; she just wanted Ginny to admit it.

"I can only blame myself, though, for the present outcome. I was the one to tell Harry to do what makes him happy. I just never thought it would be with..."

"Danielle," Hermione replied softly as she placed her hand on Ginny's shoulder.

Ginny wiped the tear away from her eye. Her stomach was knotting with the image of Harry showing affection towards Danielle. In a perfect world, it would have been her, not Danielle, that made Harry laugh and become his old self again.

"Does Harry know, Ginny?"

Ginny straightened up to answer, "No."

Hermione hesitated before questioning, "But why?"

"Because, Hermione, he is happy. If it means I'm miserable and he is happier with someone else, I can at least be content with that."

Hermione wasn't surprised by the unselfish answer. "But, Gin, what would make you happy?"

"A change," she mumbled.

Ginny had been holding onto the idea of changing for a while. She had been thinking with her heart far too long, and it had got her nowhere. Her heart was always with Harry. She needed to follow her mind's intuition this time; her heart had failed her.

Hermione sat studying her face before speaking, "Gin, I think I may have your answer."

Ginny eyes tried to register what Hermione could possibly be talking about. Hermione cleared her throat. "I have an opportunity, Ginny, which I think could be to your advantage, if you choose to take it."

Ginny eyed Hermione warily before she continued, "I've been working on new Charm development for an endeavor in the States. The person in charge is forming a program that would incorporate Muggle science and Magic to help combat the latest advancements in the Dark Arts."

Ginny's eyebrow rose. "Hermione, why do you think I would be eligible for this? I work at a pub, remember?"

Hermione shot a look at her. "That's utter rubbish, Gin, and you know it. You are more than qualified. If I remember correctly, you were very involved in the D.A. and had a tendency of casting a certain Hex," she quipped with her eyebrow raised.

Ginny knew she was right, but had further questions. "But why are there new developments? Voldemort is gone."

"Honestly, Ginny," Hermione said, her eyes rolling in frustration. It seemed being thick ran in the family. "Just because Voldemort is gone, doesn't mean there won't be others. Didn't you hear what happened in Brazil?"

She did remember hearing talk about a Brazilian wizard village being destroyed earlier in the week. "Ron and Harry have had to go through additional training because of that, isn't it?"

"Yes," Hermione answered her. "The Aurors are having a difficult time tracking down criminals when the use of Muggle science is implicated."

"Interesting." She rubbed her hands together. This could be the opportunity she needed. It could give a new purpose in her life besides slinging drinks for inebriated witches and wizards and wishing on the futile possibility that Harry would come around, eventually. "When does this program start?" she asked.

Hermione's eyes brightened. "Four months." She watched as Ginny seemed to be mulling over the new information.

"How long and where?"

"Three and a half years in Washington DC."

"Three and a half years?"

"Well, yes, it is a long time but it would be worth it, in my opinion. You would be trained as an Auror, and then take exams in order to begin study in a specific field of interest."

"The American version of N.E.W.T.s?"

"Exactly. You would be trained as a licensed specialist in your field." Hermione smiled, hoping Ginny would say 'yes'.

Ginny looked at her with her brow furrowed. "Wait; why not Harry and Ron? They are just as qualified."

"To be honest, Ginny, you were the first person I thought of when I got this information. Besides, why not you?"

The gears in Ginny's head began to turn. She always did like the idea of being an Auror, now this was her chance. She had grown tired of every decision she tried to make coming back to him. Maybe an ocean between them would be enough to get her mind way from the oppressing fog named Harry Potter.

Hermione's voice broke her thoughts. "Maybe you should sleep on it, Gin, before you give an answer. Besides," Hermione said looking at her watch, "you've been missing for forty-five minutes, now. Better head back before your mum sends out the hounds."

Ginny laughed and got up from her position on the ground, and dusted off while both women headed back to the Burrow in silence.

* * *

It was an unusually large mid-week lunch hour crowd at the Leaky Cauldron, wizards and witches about enjoying the atmosphere of the Cauldron. To a spectator, it was nearly impossible to distinguish the blur of red moving around the Cauldron as heavily occupied as it was. Ginny maneuvered between the tables and the kitchen, bringing out a never-ending supply of butterbeer and pub grub. The length of the day was all too evident when she limped behind the bar. Ginny winced as she took one shoe off to let her toes wiggle.

"Tired?" Ginny looked up to see Ron sitting on a stool in front of her.

"Yes, always." she grinned. "The usual?"

"Of course," Ron answered. He swivelled to survey the place. "Damn, it's busy in here. Giving anything away for free?"

Ginny set his butterbeer down in front of him. "No. Guess word of mouth is getting around about the new cook."

"Ah!" Ron took a sip. He had to admit the food was a hundred times better with the new cook. It was no longer a risk to eat at the Cauldron. "Seen Hermione?"

"Sorry, can't say I have. Meeting for lunch?" Ginny made her self look busy by cleaning off the bar top.

"Yeah, she has to work late tonight, and I'm knackered by the time I get done with pre-training. So quality time is limited for us."

She frowned, knowing both of their schedules were un-yielding when it came to their relationship. Before Ginny could respond a slightly less bushy haired female stepped up next to Ron.

"Hello, Love," Hermione said, quickly kissing Ron on the cheek.

Ron returned the sign of affection, before catching the robe Hermione tossed off against his chest. "I swear, Ginny, it has to be two times hotter in here than it is outside. I don't know how you do it."

Ginny smiled as she wiped a damp piece of hair from her forehead. "The usual, Hermione?"

"Yes."

Ginny returned and sat the large pumpkin juice down in front of Hermione. She broke away from her conversation with Ron. "So Ginny, given it any thought to what we talked about?"

She hadn't spoken to anyone about her confession to Hermione or the fact she was thinking about leaving. She couldn't deny that the idea had appealed to her, but it had even more so when Hermione dropped off the information packet the week before.

"Um, a little," Ginny said.

Ron looked back and forth between his girlfriend and sister. "What are you two going on about?" he asked.

Hermione turned to Ron, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I spoke to Ginny about the opportunity in the States." Ron looked even more confused, and Hermione sighed. "The Institute, Ronald – the one I've been working with for the past eight months?"

A look of comprehension crossed Ron's face. "Oh, I remember now. The Muggle science and Magic deal, right?" looking over at his sister, concerned. "But Ginny?"

Both Hermione and Ginny glared at him. "Ronald, I think your sister is more than qualified from experience during the war and while in school. Need I remind you about her O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s?"

Ron's face turned pink. Ginny felt a rush of pride as she saw her friend stick up for her. Ginny's euphoria wavered when she saw who entered into the tavern. Two familiar heads bobbed through the crowd: one notorious for being unkempt, the other dark and sleek. Ginny glanced down at the table and began to clean the same spot on the bar top with greater fervor. Hermione and Ron looked at her questioningly before they looked over to see what had caused Ginny's reaction. Sitting at an adjacent table was Harry and Danielle. Hermione pursed her lips before looking back at Ginny.

"Hermione?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"When would I leave?"

Hermione smiled and nudged Ron. "The twelfth of August."

Ginny glanced down at her hands and then back at the table, observing Harry nuzzling Danielle's neck… Laughing.

The vise on her heart tightened. She had made a decision. "Okay, I'm ready."

* * *

The next three months passed swiftly as Ginny prepared to leave for the Institute. After the initial shock of telling her family she was leaving for a university in America, she was bombarded with concerns and opinions on her hastily made decision. Each of the six Weasley brothers took the news in their own way. Charlie and Bill argued she was too young to leave; however, Ginny won the argument when she pointed out they were both around her age when they left for Romania and Egypt. Fred and George were more accepting: they both congratulated her and then asked for her to scout out possible locations to expand their shop in the States. Percy was – well – Percy – commending her positive career choice via Owl, while apologizing for his demanding work schedule. Her mum and dad were proud that Ginny was going to pursue something of interest in her life; even though it meant her leaving home, they supported her decision.

After the lunch at the Leaky Cauldron, Ron had been quiet about it. Even though he was noted to be a bit thick at times, his behavior seemed to acknowledge one of the other reasons Ginny was leaving: Harry. Her thoughts weren't confirmed until Ron pulled her aside at Harry's birthday party. He told her that even though Harry was his best mate, she was his sister and she had his full support. Harry's response to the news was to congratulate her and wish the best. The few rare times Ginny did see Harry, he remained unusually quiet when the banter between friends brought up her relocating.

* * *

A day before Ginny was scheduled to leave, her brothers decided to throw her a going away party at the Leaky Cauldron. It seemed everyone from her year, from Ron's year, plus a few from Fred and George's era at Hogwarts were at the party. The twins surprised Ginny with a charmed banner that flashed encouraging words along with a few embarrassing anecdotes, which were quickly removed after a threat of a double Bat-Bogey Hex. Ginny spent most of the night going from table to table socializing, talking, and laughing with friends, remembering the old days at Hogwarts.

Towards the end of the evening, Ginny sat, leaning against the bar's edge, laughing as Dean Thomas whispered in her ear. Her face blushed; she took a swing at Dean's shoulder, laughing harder. They finished by exchanging quick words and a hug and kiss on the cheek. Dean waved goodbye to Ginny and headed towards the exit and left.

She was finally alone. He moved in to talk to her, "Hey."

Ginny turned wiping tears out of her eyes. "Oh, hey, Harry, enjoying yourself?"

He noticed her speech was slightly slurred and looked down at her glass. "Oh, yeah, having a great time. I see you've had enough to drink," he said, nodding his head towards her swaying stance.

Her eyes rolled as she tossed her hair back. "Oh, Harry, please!" She waved him off. "I'm only tipsy, not pissed." A mischievous grinned crossed her face. "Well, not yet, anyway," she snorted and began laughing loudly.

Harry joined in on the laughter and placed his drink down, grabbing hers, which was slipping out of her hands.

"So, Har-ry, how is life?" she poked him in his chest.

Harry looked down at her hand on his chest and looked upon her face. "Its fine; training is training, but not nearly as exciting as the adventure you're about to take."

She screwed her face up, contemplating his statement before answering. "Yes, I suppose you are right. I am heading off to a new frontier."

Harry stared at her as she became heavily engrossed with the confetti on the bar top. She looked away from the confetti, meeting his stare. _Had her eyes always looked like they had gold flecks in them?_ he wondered. Feeling his throat constrict, he coughed to speak. "I'm--I'm going to miss you, Ginny."

Ginny's eyes seemed to sober instantly. "What?"

"I said, I'm going to miss you, Ginny. This place won't be the same without you."

"That's because I always throw in free pints," she said with a smirk.

Harry faltered from her remark. "No, it's not that. I'm just going to miss hanging out with you."

Ginny wanted to say, _We only hang out when you need me, Harry, or Danielle isn't around,_ but Ginny kept her thoughts to herself, forcing a smile across her face.

"Right," she said.

Harry jammed his hands in his pockets. He could feel himself grow more nervous the longer their conversation lasted. He didn't understand why he was nervous and what made tonight different from any other night. It was 'just' Ginny – his best mate's little sister, after all.

"Um, promise me something, Ginny."

"What's that, Harry?"

"That you'll keep in touch while you're away."

Ginny ignored the protest in her head. "Sure, Harry." She smiled. They stood there for a few seconds before she spoke again. "Harry, promise me something, too."

"Anything," he said.

"Be yourself, Harry," she whispered, leaning in, gently kissing him on the cheek. "I have to finish packing. Goodbye, Harry."

Harry embraced her in a strong hug. He let out a low sigh as he watched the door close behind her. He mumbled, "See you later, Ginny."

* * *

"Good afternoon passengers, at this time we are beginning our descent into the Nation's Capitol. The current time is 3:15 p.m. and the current temperature is eighty-nine degrees."

Ginny stirred in her seat, removing the eye mask. She squinted, her eyes adjusting to the light. She reached her hands above her head, stretching. "Well, here I am." She smiled to herself thinking about her departure. She thought the arrival at the Muggle airport hadn't gone badly. It wasn't as notorious as their mad dashes to Platform 9 3/4 were, but if Hermione hadn't decided to come along, it could've been a lot worse. Ginny said her goodbyes, refusing to cry as her mother wept about her youngest baby leaving the nest. Making promises to periodically Owl and Floo, Ginny waved goodbye, leaving her family at the gate. After eight hours of sleeping, watching the in-flight movie, and reading, she longed to get off the claustrophobic plane. She buckled her seatbelt as the plane began its descent. After landing and spending an hour in Muggle Customs, she finally retrieved her luggage and headed towards the exit doors. As she got closer, she remembered she never did get the chance to asked Hermione how she was going to get to The Institute. She glanced at her Muggle watch, and it was too late to call Hermione; she was unfamiliar with how to use a Muggle pay phone. Cursing herself, she walked towards the taxis; at least she had the address, and her few trips into Muggle London had familiarized her with taxis.

"Um, excuse me, are you Ginevra Weasley?"

Ginny looked up to see a tall man with piercing blue eyes standing in front of her. He smiled.

"Um," she sputtered, biting her lip. "Yes, that would be me. I'm Ginevra Weasley, and you are…?"

The man shook his dark head and smiled. "Talon McPherson, at your service. I'm with The Institute. They sent me to pick you up."

Her eyes widened; she hadn't remembered seeing people who looked like him in The Institute handbook. "I hate to be rude, but how do I know you are really with The Institute?"

His eyebrows raised in surprise. "Smart." He unfolded and handed Ginny a copy of her acceptance letter. Along with her travel itinerary she had Owled to the school the week before. He looked down at her and studied her closely; he had never seen anyone with such striking red hair. "Believe me, now?"

Ginny smiled, realizing how close he was to her. "Yes, I suppose so."

She went to reach for her bag but Talon beat her to it. "Don't; I know you've had a long day. It would be an inhumane for me to let you carry all your own bags." He checked to see that he had all her bags. "Are you ready to go?"

Ginny caught herself staring at him. "Yes."

"Okay, follow me."

Together, they left the airport, headed towards the rows of cars. Ginny had been caught up surveying her new surroundings; she didn't notice that Talon had stopped walking in front of her. The impact of walking into his back caused Ginny to bounce off him. Before she could catch her balance, his arm reached out to catch her.

"Careful, now; I can't have you hurting yourself in your first few hours here." He smiled, releasing her arm. He turned and motioned her towards a car. "Here we are. What's wrong?"

Ginny blushed. "It's just; I've never seen one of these, before. Well, I have, but they were Ministry cars."

Talon gave an amused smirk. "It's called a Jeep." He began loading her bags. "How do wizards near you get around?" he asked while opening the door.

"We Apparate, use brooms, Portkeys, and the Floo Network."

"Oh, okay, you're lucky. We can only use the national Floo Network around here and Muggle transportation. Any other magical ways of travel have to be cleared and authorized. One can't even fly a broom on one's property without a risk of a citation. Personally, I think it's a bunch of bureaucratic bull," he grumbled, starting the car and backing out.

After driving for a few minutes, Talon caught Ginny smiling at him. He returned the grin. "So, um, what do you go by? Ginevra, Gin-Gin, Ginniekins?"

Her eyebrow rose at the odd selection of nicknames. "'Ginny' is just fine, thank you."

Ginny felt her face flush. _Why am I getting so worked up over him? He is just like any other bloke._ Talon's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"So, Gin, tell me a little about yourself?"

"Well," Ginny started, "I'm the youngest of seven. I have six older brothers. I use to work at a tavern. I attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I was a Chaser and sometimes a Seeker for my House Quidditch team. I was sorted into Gryffindor House, but I doubt you know what that is. I guess that's it; oh, I hate pink."

Talon laughed at her last comment. "Interesting, six older brothers. Bet it was hard for you to date, huh?"

"Um, I didn't do too much dating when I was in school; well, not really. No."

"Oh, yeah? No boyfriend at home?"

Her chest tightened with Talon's bold questions. He was asking about things that didn't concern him.

Talon read the _mind-your-own-business_ look on her face. He had only been in the car with her for fifteen minutes, and he had already stuck his foot in his mouth.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, throwing a hand up. "I didn't mean to be rude, it's just--I have a tendency to ask stupid questions." He tried harder to focus on driving.

"It's okay, Talon; I'm just not use to people asking those questions." Ginny bit her lip, looking for a reaction.

Talon sighed and looked at her. "No, it's my fault; it's an American thing, I guess. You're not the first to tell me so." He smiled.

His smile enhanced his handsome features. She shifted in her seat. "Well, if you're going to ask me uncomfortable questions, tell me about yourself, Talon." She crossed her hands over her chest, waiting for his response.

"Well, let's see; I'm the youngest of five: I have two brothers and two sisters. My mom is a Muggle; Dad is a wizard. I'm originally from Florida. I attended Salem Institute. I played many sports including Quidditch; I was a Beater on my team. After graduating, I began Auror training; I was promoted to a Special Ops Unit and eventually W.D.I.A.--Wizarding Defense Intelligence Agency--where I currently work."

Ginny was amazed. She had never heard of anyone besides much older Ministry officials who had accomplished so much. "How old are you?"

"How old do I look?" His eyebrow arched. "Come on, guess; I bet you will never guess right."

"Hmm, thirty?" It seemed like a reasonable guess, considering how much he had accomplished.

Talon shook his head. "I'm afraid you are wrong." He glanced in the rearview window at his reflection. "Do I really look like I'm thirty?"

Ginny didn't trust herself to answer. Her throat was extremely dry; instead, she opted to just shrug her shoulders in uncertainty.

"Well, I'm twenty-three, to be exact."

"But how were you able to achieve so much at such a young age?"

"I guess it's my drive; how old are you?"

"I just turned nineteen."

Talon looked at her. "You don't appear to be that young. You must be mature for your age."

Ginny silently laughed to herself. If he only knew what her brothers knew. She noticed that trees appeared blurring by the windows. "Is this Washington, DC?"

"No, I'm taking the back roads. We're not far from the campus; we would be there if this idiot in front of us would drive," he said, throwing up a rude gesture.

Ginny's eyes adverted to the front and she noticed the car slowing down to turn. Talon stopped the car to talk to the gatekeeper before turning back to her. "Ms. Ginny, welcome The Institute of Sorcery and Technology."

As they drove the road narrowed, the trees along it growing closer and thicker. The further they drove, the more it seemed that the trees would swallow the car, until a clearing in the trees broke in front of them. Ginny couldn't believe the house she saw in front of her. It was nowhere near the size of Hogwarts, but instead, it reminded her of the huge southern mansions that she saw in a Muggle movie at Hermione's flat before she left. The house was reminiscent of the antebellum mansions from the old south. There were several Dorian columns that supported the two story red brick building with white porches that ran along the front on both levels. The two wings that flanked the sides of the house were covered with a slow progress of ivy. The front doors opened to a brick walkway that encircled a fountain.

"Nice, isn't it?"

"I've never seen anything so--so..."

"Colossal, impressive, imposing?" he said.

Ginny laughed and shook her head. "No, I attended school in a castle; that's different. But I never have seen anything like this before."

Talon agreed with her. "Yeah, this is one of the few old southern mansions still around in this area. The original owner was a wealthy Muggle before the founder of The Institute took over and added his own touches. Over there," he pointed to a cluster of small row houses, "are the dorms for students who live on campus."

"Do you live there?" she asked.

"No, I live in the city." He pulled his car into a space and cut it off. "Well, time to unload and move you in." After unloading, they headed off towards a set of row houses.

"This was a later addition; still new, I think." They stopped in front of a brown stone row house. "Here we are: number sixteen." He unlocked the door, stepping inside. "Hey, anybody home?" He dropped her bags off in the foyer. She heard a sound coming from the door adjacent to them. "Good; someone is here." He knocked on the door, opening it. Ginny peered over his shoulder to see a young woman sitting on her bed, reading; her eyes looked up as they entered.

"Ginny, I'd like you to meet Nadia, your housemate."

She stepped forward. From the outward appearance, Nadia was tall and lanky; her blond hair was tied in a loose knot. She stood up, adjusting her shirt; her brown eyes peered at Ginny from behind a pair of glasses.

"Hi, nice to meet you." Ginny shook her hand.

"Ginny, here, is a new recruit so be nice or else," he teased.

Nadia rolled her eyes at Talon before, returning her attention back to Ginny.

"Well, just to let you know, there are three of us including you in this house. Your room is down the hall, towards the back of the house. Upstairs," she said pointing towards the ceiling, "is Eva's room; she's up there because she snores."

Ginny stifled a laugh and began coughing.

Nadia continued, "But you'll hardly ever see her, because she has a boyfriend now and is only home once and a while. I'll let you unpack and get comfortable; nice meeting you." Nadia nodded her head at Talon and Ginny, spun, and closed her door. Ginny's brow furrowed in confusion. _That seemed a little rude._

"Don't worry about her, Gin; she's a little special," he said, giving her a mischievous grin. He opened Ginny's door, dropping off her suitcases. "You can freshen up. Shall I take you around now or wait till later?"

She was still wearing her robes from home and it was a bit warmer outside. She bit her lip, contemplating. "Give me two minutes to change into something more breathable," she answered.

"Okay, I'll meet you on the steps."

After changing into a pair of jeans and tank top, she walked down the steps to see Talon talking to a tall black man.

He moved towards her, pulling her down the steps. "Gin, this is Security, I mean Kevin. He is one of our top Auror trainers and commander of the Special Ops Team."

The man laughed and slapped Talon's shoulder before extending his large hand. "Nice to meet you, Gin. Can't believe they trusted a new recruit to this blockhead," he said, motioning towards Talon. "I look forward to training you this fall."

"Thank you," she nervously grinned at the huge man. Kevin laughed and excused himself, leaving Talon and Ginny alone in his wake.

"Bit scary, isn't he?" he said, noticing her fearful expression. "Don't worry; he's only scary when he's mad. You'll get exceptional defense training with him. Ready?"

She swallowed her fear. "As ever," she answered.

Talon and Ginny walked as he pointed out interesting anecdotes about the school. Ginny felt increasingly comfortable around him, as if she had known him for years. He had a witty personality and joked with her easily. Ginny even felt comfortable to retort to his funny remarks. _He's flirting with me,_ she thought, _and I'm flirting back_. She was pretty good at flirting with Talon; it seemed effortless. Ginny laughed at a comment he made about a professor when she noticed their walk had taken them behind the main house.

Her pulse quickened when she felt Talon's hand on her shoulder. "Hey, I want to show you something."

He led her down an earthen staircase. As they neared the bottom, the trees began to thin out; a soft rush filled their ears. At the last step, Talon pulled her along towards the right; the trees cleared. The view made Ginny's mouth slack open.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Ginny didn't say anything except stared off into the vista. "Where are we?" She inched toward the rocky edge.

"We are standing above the Potomac River and down there," he said, pointing towards the lone white pinnacle that stood against the skyline, "is the National Monument. That is Washington, DC, Ginny."

"This is beautiful, Talon."

"I thought you would appreciate it; you seem like the type that would appreciate nature at its finest." He smiled as the sun reflected off Ginny's hair.

Talon didn't hear her response; his attention was focused on her. _She is more than beautiful – she is stunning_. _Why wasn't she already been spoken for?_ he wondered. _Women like her are rare and are often taken. You realize you can't pursue her._ He scowled as the voice of reason sprang into his head. _You don't have a great track record with women._ He knew how his past escapades were judged by others. However, she didn't seem like the type to hold that against him. Talon began rubbing his jaw. _She is also a new recruit and you know HIS opinions on that_. Talon groaned. This wasn't going to be easy when one had to be around her everyday.

"Talon?" Ginny asked, reaching out to touch his arm after hearing him groan. "Are you okay?"

Talon jumped; he had been so caught up in his thoughts he had forgotten she was there. "Yeah, I'm okay." His beeping wristwatch announced the time. "Shit, I've been running my mouth for forty-five minutes; let's head back up."

Ginny looked confused as he rushed towards the stairs. She wondered what had gotten to him. Ginny jogged to catch up to him; once she caught up, it turned into a race up the stairs. Talon reached the top first.

"I win," he gasped, his chest heaving from the exertion.

Ginny bent over, trying to breathe. "Don't worry, I have plenty of time to beat you." She winked.

Talon chuckled. "We'll see." His attention was drawn away as the sound of an engine entered the air. Talons eyes widened when he saw the source. He ruffled his short hair as the motorcycle pulled in and parked.

"Perfect timing," he muttered. "Ginny, I want you to meet someone."

Talon seized her arm, pulling her across the street towards the biker. Ginny stood back as he ran up, knocking the biker in the helmet and pointing in her direction. Ginny wished she knew what he was saying; a good pair of Extendable Ears would have been perfect for right now. He stopped talking and gestured for Ginny to join him. Ginny slowly walked over next to them.

Talon flashed an encouraging smile before speaking, "Ginny, I would like to introduce you to Nick."

Ginny wondered who was underneath the dark helmet. If he looked anything like Talon, this school had promise. Ginny stared as the biker removed his helmet; what she saw made her jaw drop. Standing in front of her was not a tattooed renegade biker that she had imagined. Instead, there stood a tall black girl with a honey complexion; she un-tucked a long brown ponytail from her jacket. She stood with her arms crossed, her brown eyes narrowed as she looked Ginny up and down before returning a glare at Talon.

"Did you do what I asked you to do?" she asked, her voice low and raspy.

Talon smiled, pushing her in the shoulder and laughing, "Take a tranquilizer, Nick; I said I would."

She looked down at her shoulder and back at him. "You must think I'm playing, Talon." She shifted her hips, poking her finger into his chest. "I'm serious."

She began to open her mouth, but he swiftly covered it, stopping her tirade. "Nick, this is Gin, one of the new _recruits_," he said, putting extra emphasis on 'recruit'.

Her eyes darted back over to Ginny, before pushing his hand away. "Hi." She extended her hand to shake, finally acknowledging her.

Ginny shook her hand skeptically, keeping eye contact. "Nice to meet you, Nick."

"So, what program are you interested in?" she asked, her piercing glare leaving Ginny's.

Ginny swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. "I'm interested in the Forensic/Auror program."

"I see. My program." She smirked.

Ginny's chest tightened. _Great, now I have to deal with the female version of Snape._ The two women stared at each other.

"Hey," Talon broke the silence. "Nick, here, is an assistant professor in that program; she was top of her class. She's real smart, if you ask..."

Nick put her hand up to him. "I hate to interrupt, especially when you're sucking up, Talon, but I need to finish some work." Her attention returned to Ginny.

Ginny lifted her chin defiantly; she wasn't going to let on to how intimidated she was of Nick.

"It was nice meeting you, Ginny; I hope to be working with you soon." With one last sideways glance at Talon, she walked away.

Ginny stood, grimacing, as her figure receded into the distance.

"Don't let her get to you, Gin," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "She's only testing you. She is like that with all the recruits; she only wants the strong and the best in her program. Her bark is much worse than her bite, but then again, I've never been on the receiving end, so I could be wrong." Talon laughed thinking about previous encounters with Nick.

Ginny smiled; she needed to hear those reassuring words. It was nice to hear statements of confidence from someone who didn't have a similar hair color to her own. A churn and a gurgle escaped from her stomach, causing Talon's eyes to widen.

"Well, I guess that is my clue you're hungry, then?"

She couldn't remember the last time she ate. "Um, I guess so."

He stepped closer. "Well, since I beat you in the race, you have to let me take you for dinner, if that is okay with you?"

Ginny felt her stomach flip-flop. "So, all I have to do is let you win and I get a free dinner?" she questioned, her eyebrow arched. "I must remember that."

"Great! Well, I have some errands to run, plus I know you are a little jet-lagged, so I'll swing by here in forty-five minutes? Is that cool?"

Ginny nodded her head in agreement.

"Well, good, I'll see you in a bit, Gin." He left, jogging towards his car.

Ginny stared after him; a cool breeze initiated her walk to the house. _Honestly, what is my problem? He's just like any other bloke! No need to get yourself worked up; you'd think he was Harry the way I'm –_ she stopped.

"Harry," she whispered. It was then the realization hit that not a single thought about Harry had crossed her mind since she got on the plane hours before. This was a first. There was always something that reminded her of Harry. Listening to a Quidditch match, serving his favorite drink at the tavern, watching a thunderstorm, or catching the scent of treacle tart; he had been a constant thought in her thinking process since she was eleven. When she dated Dean and Michael, he was still there, lurking in her mind. _Well, Talon isn't exactly Harry, now, is he?_ No. Besides the physical differences, Talon treated her differently, too. He was open, he wasn't shy, he didn't falter on words, he was gregarious, and he held himself with confidence. All the qualities Talon possessed were the opposites of what made Harry special to her. _But Talon has your stomach doing flip-flops the same way it did it for Harry._ Ginny cursed under her breath and wished she didn't over analyze everything. To put a stop to the endless analysis of a nonexistent relationship, she picked up a bag and began to unpack.

Thirty minutes later, Ginny stepped back and looked at the progress of her room; it wasn't the Burrow, but it was home, for now. She lifted her hand to adjust a picture on the wall of all of them at her birthday dinner when her door opened.

"Hey. Oh, wow, you work pretty fast," he said, stepping into her room and surveying her progress. "So, you ready, Gin? I know a great place to take you to that's a good introduction to the city."

She gave a slight smile, brushed her hands down her jeans, and said, "I think I'm ready."

"Okay, I'll wait outside," leaving Ginny alone in her room.

Ginny had grabbed her house keys off her desk when a glass frame diverted her attention. She had forgotten she packed the gift. Lifting it up off the table and smiling, her fingers ran along the words on the glass plate as she read the words, now understanding why Hermione had given it to her.

_**A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step Lao-Tzu**_

Ginny sighed as she placed the frame down. Giving her room a final inspection, she grabbed her jacket as she took the first step towards her new life.

* * *

A/N: Okay this is my first stab at a fanfic that isn't supernatural, horror related. A big thanks goes to ChaoticK and Phoenixlls for their wonderful beta-ing. Feel free to read/review.


	2. Chapter 2: Journey's Convene

Edgedancer of Madness

By: Enygma1920

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters you recognize. They are from the mind of J.K. Rowling.

Chapter 2: Journey's Convene

* * *

_Five years later_

"No, No," she tossed her flaming locks from side to side, her feet kicking, her petite body withering as if it were in pain. "No, No. Leave -- alone." She violently thrashed in her covers and gnawed on her lip, drawing a slow trickle of blood from her mouth. "Why! Stop, No please!" she begged. "NO!"

THUMP!

Her eyes popped open to see the brown hardwood floor centimetres from her face. She glanced around, trying to regain her bearings. Ginny knew if her reflexes hadn't have stopped her from smashing into her bedroom floor, she would have been nursing a broken nose at the moment. She exhaled and slowly rose, adjusting her twisted nightgown. "Damn," she muttered as she headed towards her bathroom. Her hand flicked the switch; the sheer, sudden intensity of the bright, white light caused her to mutter a string of curses. She propped her hands on the sink and greeted her weary reflection in the mirror.

Ginny wiped the blood from her mouth and exhaled. "You've seen better days, Ginevra."

She laughed dryly at her personal jab and began to throw water on her face. Ten minutes later, she padded back into her bedroom, dressed in shorts and a tank top.

Ginny sat down on her bed and poked the large dog lying in front of her. "If I'm up, you have to be up."

The dog stirred and placed its head on her lap. "You have to remind me, Bronx, to never buy cheap potions again. Okay, girl?"

The dog wagged its tail and barked. "Extra Strength Dreamless Sleeping Draught, my arse!" she muttered as she picked up the bottle and threw it into the bin. She left her bedroom and headed towards the stairs. "Be good, Bronx; don't destroy the house," she yelled over her shoulder and closed the door. "Time for therapy."

* * *

The steady pulse of the bass flowed into her ears, setting the pace as Ginny ran along the tree-lined trail. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon. The summer humidity made the saturated air extra sticky; a stray hand motion wiped a trail of perspiration from her brow. She ignored the slight burn in her legs and set a swift rhythm. Her brown eyes locked onto her destination; she shifted gears, lengthened her stride, and pushed towards her finish line. After she finished, Ginny slowed down to a shuffle while she rested her hands on her head, slowly easing her erratic breathing. _Damn, needs to be faster_, she thought, as she glanced down at her watch. After years of morning _therapy_, instinct led her down the familiar path toward a large, grey office building.

"Good morning, Ginevra," an older gentleman said, smiling as he held the door open for her. "You're here early."

"Yes, sir, I am. Good morning to you, too," Ginny answered. "Good morning, Phyllis." She smiled wistfully at her colleague and presented her security badge.

"Morning, dear." The guard smiled when she glanced up from her newspaper.

Ginny opened the door marked 'Basement' and trotted down the worn stairs to the employee locker room. Glad to find it empty of co-workers, Ginny singled out the cherished stall that pumped out the hottest water and gathered her belongings for nice relaxing shower.

Thirty minutes into the shower, she noticed her hands pruning. Not wanting to become further waterlogged, she reluctantly turned off the water in her steamy sanctuary and exited the shower stall. She padded over to the closest mirror and wiped off the condensation. They say mirrors don't lie, and even while staring into a non-enchanted, Muggle mirror, Ginny could tell, by the drawn look on her face, she needed a holiday._I've checked myself out two times in the last hour_, she mused. "I'll be damned," she muttered. "I've become Lockhart." She snorted at the mere thought of being as vain as her former professor and shifted away towards the lockers to dress.

Quickly adjusting the clasp holding up her red hair, Ginny ended her elevator ride feeling slightly refreshed and walked quietly down the white hallway, the only sound was the echoing of her heels. She stopped in front of her office; something felt off.

Ginny's eyes searched both ends of the white hallway: nothing. She shook her head. i You need to calm down Ginevra/i she told herself. Using her wand to unlock the door, she entered her office to begin her workday. An hour had passed uninterrupted before there was a light knock at the door. She lifter her eyes from the case file she was reading. "Enter."

A small brunette popped her head in. "Hey, Gin, I saw your light on; I didn't think you got in this early."

"Yes, I believe in practicing _Carpe Diem_, Sasha." Her hand self-consciously wiped at her mouth. "Did you need something?"

The young woman frowned. "You asked me to read through the Ohio 2002 cases, and present them to you first thing this morning, remember?"

"Oh, yes." Ginny had forgotten that she asked her assistant to do that. "Did you find anything?" she asked.

The girl wrung her hands; she seemed to have become very interested in her shoes. "I'm afraid I didn't, they _were _Sheppard's cases."

Ginny was all too familiar with Shepard's work ethics, incompetence being one of them. She sighed. "Was there anything that stood out or caught your eye when you read them?"

Sasha sadly shook her head. "Sorry, Ginny, it seems the last file assigned to that case was November 2004: Discovery of--" Sasha's face paled when she read the file name. "Oh! I'm sorry, Ginny." She fumbled with the file in her hands and watched her supervisor's reaction.

"It's--it's okay, Sasha, don't worry about it." Ginny rose from her desk and walked towards her.

Sasha placed the file on the desk. "Ginny, I'm--"

Ginny held her hand up. "Don't. Thank you again for going through those old files for me." She gave her assistant a reassuring smile. "If you need me, Sasha, I'll be in here."

Sasha nodded and then stared at the teetering stack of files sprawled on her desk.

"Is there anything else?" Ginny asked, watching her.

"Oh! I almost forgot. This memo just arrived," Sasha said, handing over a white envelope.

Ginny inspected the envelope and noticed a faint insignia. _That's odd; why wasn't it sent directly to me, _"Thanks."

Sasha nodded obediently and left the office. Once alone, Ginny ran her nail along the top and opened it. Inside was a folded sheet of parchment. She unfolded it and read it quietly. The redhead's eyes narrowed. "Damn it," she whispered. She snatched her keys lying on her desk and ran out of her office.

The noise of Ginny's door slamming startled Sasha. "Ginny? What's wrong?" she yelled at Ginny's receding form.

"Hold all my calls, Sasha," she shouted over her shoulder, waving a dismissive hand as she ran down the hallway.

Sasha stood still, watching her supervisor disappear into an elevator. Slightly concerned at Ginny's odd behaviour, she sat back down and made a second attempt to begin her workday.

* * *

Harry waltzed into the office later than he had intended that morning and flopped down behind his desk, grinning. Ron's eyes moved from the paper in front of him to Harry.

"Looks like someone is in a good mood," he said, rustling the paper. Ron heard a low chuckle in response. He placed the paper down on his desk and eyed Harry suspiciously. "This improved mood wouldn't have anything to do with the new Brazilian intern you just met, would it?"

Harry's grin grew wider. "You mean Adriana?"

"Tell me you didn't, mate."

Harry waved Ron off, dismissing the inquiry. "Of course not, what do you think I am?"

"The same randy twenty-one year old I once shared a flat with?"

Harry snorted. "I've matured since then Ron; I'm twenty-five now."

"Yeah, but you still act like an eighteen year old git," Ron retorted and ducked as Harry threw a Sneakoscope from his desk at his head. Ron laughed. "So?"

"What? You know I'm never one to kiss and tell." Harry smiled wryly at him.

"So, you _did _shag her?"

Harry looked down at his hands and began to fidget.

"Guilty as charged, I see?" Ron leaned in, watching his friend squirm uncomfortably.

Harry glanced up. "We came _extremely_ close to it, but my conscience kicked in."

"Why the good mood then?"

"Well, just because we didn't shag, doesn't mean we didn't do _other_ things," Harry grinned mischievously.

"I see," Ron returned to paper as he spoke again. "You know, Harry; you're building quite a reputation around here."

Harry's expression turned grim. "Just because I haven't found someone like you, doesn't mean I don't want to." He retrieved the Sneakoscope from the floor and started tossing it into the air before he continued, "Besides, I still want to have fun. It's all trial and error."

Ron studied his best mate; he knew Harry too well to believe he was happy playing the role of a 'playwizard'. "So are you going to continue to see her, at least?"

Harry shrugged and replied, "Maybe. We'll see."

Ron opened his mouth to speak but a memo flew into the office, ending the conversation between the two friends. Ron reached up to grab it and read it over before handing it to Harry.

"Seems they're bringing someone in to work with us on the Godric case," Ron said.

Harry frowned. Neither of the Aurors liked the idea of some random outsider coming in on their case.

"We're supposed to meet Kingsley in his office at noon."

Harry nodded and sifted through a stack of files on his desk.

"I'm going to get a cup of tea; do you want any?" Ron asked.

"No, that's okay. Adriana fixed me some when I left her flat this morning," he answered.

Ron's eyebrows shot up. "So, you stayed the night, then?"

Harry's cheeks reddened. Ron laughed as he left the playwizard to his work.

* * *

Harry sat next to Ron as they both waited for their supervisor to enter the room; they could hear him talking to someone out in the hallway before he entered. Both men stood when Kingsley Shacklebolt entered. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley," he nodded at both of them, "please sit." Kingsley settled down behind the desk. "I appreciate that both of you are taking time out of your schedules to meet with me here, today. I can tell that you both have questions as to why I want to bring someone else in on your case."

"Um, Sir," Harry interrupted, "I don't think it's necessary to bring in any additional help on the Godric case. Ron and I have been working on the case together efficiently and we see no need to bring in someone else," Harry concluded and watched as Kingsley rubbed his chin in contemplation.

The head Auror abruptly dropped his hands to the desk and spoke, "I'm glad that you've shared your opinion with me, Potter," Harry smiled and glanced at Ron, "but my decision is final." Harry's shoulders slumped, while Kingsley continued, "My intentions are to bring in this highly recommended specialist who will be of some use to the case." He tossed a file at Ron.

Ron opened it and read the headline. "The Makuxi incident!" he exclaimed and handed the file to Harry. "They worked on that case?" Ron asked.

Harry recognized the picture on the file. "I remember this case; this was during Zagan's terror campaign." Harry looked up at Kingsley. "An entire wizarding village was annihilated near the Guyana border. I was told there was no evidence to base an investigation upon."

"So, this specialist," Ron interrupted, looking at a newspaper clipping in the file, "Zeddemore, will be working with us?"

Kingsley sat with an amused appearance, listening to Ron and Harry talk. "Not necessarily," the older Auror interjected. "A member of that team will be joining you both for a few months."

Harry groaned inwardly; regardless of how recommended this person was, what it really meant was he and Ron would be baby minding for the next few months.

Kingsley continued, "I think you might find it interesting that there is a slight chance that the Godric case could be linked to a high profile cold case."

Both men's eyes widened at the mention of a cold case.

"However, this is only speculation at this time, and the specialist will be coming in to verify it."

The meeting was disturbed when the door banged open and a short woman rushed in and handed a roll of parchment to Kingsley. He opened and read it. "Excuse me for a moment; it seems they have just arrived." Kingsley stood up to leave, but stopped and turned back to Harry and Ron. "Gentlemen, the information I've just told you is not to leave this room. Is that understood?" Harry and Ron nodded in silence and watched the older Auror exit the office.

Ron nudged Harry. "Do you think it's this Zeddemore person?" he asked.

"I don't know. How many Auror specialists can there be?" Harry answered.

"You're right, although, I wonder--" but before Ron could finish, the door opened again.

Kingsley stepped into the room alone. Both Ron and Harry stood up.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley--" He pushed the door further open to allow the visitor in. "I would like to introduce to you… your specialist."

Harry adjusted his glasses and then felt his stomach drop when he saw who had walked into the room. Harry could hear Ron's sharp intake of breath before he spoke in a low whisper, "Ginny?"

Harry could hardly believe Ginny Weasley was actually standing in front of him. He hadn't seen nor spoken to her since the New Year's Eve party two years before. Harry felt his throat become dry as he stared at her. Her hair was still that fiery red Weasley trademark, but instead of falling to her shoulders, it was clipped up and off her neck in a messy knot. Ginny's eyes were still the rich amber colour he remembered, and they now caught him staring. Instead of the playful sparks that used to greet him, a cold affect was returned now and caused a shiver to dance down his spine. Harry's impetuous cough caused Ron to shoot him a concerned look. Harry shook his head and tried to focus on what was being said.

"…She will have an unrestricted access to the Godric files and any associated files, as well. Is there anything else you can think of?" Kingsley asked Ginny.

"No, nothing that I can think of," she said. Her eyes darted between Harry and Ron. "I look forward to working with you both."

"Thank you Miss--"

"I prefer 'Ginny', sir," she gave a slight smile.

Kingsley nodded. "Okay, Ginny. Ella, here, will show you to your office. I will be by to check on you later."

Ginny nodded and stepped out into the hallway. Kingsley began speaking once again, only Harry wasn't paying attention; the only thought on his mind was the memory of the last time Ginny was called his friend.

* * *

_Two Years Earlier–1 January 2003_

Harry crept down the hallway, making his way toward the bedroom door. He placed his ear next to the door and heard her voice. Harry smiled. _So, that's where she snuck off to_. He silently placed his beer bottle on the carpeted floor. Twenty minutes earlier, he had noticed Ginny creeping inconspicuously down a hallway away from the party. _Perfect_ , he thought. _Time to get revenge for this morning_ . His mouth curled into a devious smirk at the idea of getting sweet revenge. Using the stealth manoeuvres he had mastered after infinite hours of Auror training, he carefully pushed the door open. He was greeted with the sight of Ginny sitting on the floor, talking to a man's head in the fireplace. Harry ignored his instinct to shut the door and leave her alone as curiosity got the better of him. _I've never noticed her talk to other blokes before_. Their friendship had changed since Ginny had left for the Institute three years before; he had to admit he was a little curious about her untold life over there. Harry pushed the door open further and listened.

"Well, I wanted to Floo you to wish you a Happy New Year, Gin."

Ginny blushed. "Thank you, Talon, that is so sweet." Her eyes narrowed. "Wait; please tell me you guys haven't started celebrating already! It's only," she checked her watch, "six-thirty!"

Talon chuckled at Ginny's concern. "Don't worry, G-Dub, I haven't started drinking yet. I figured I'd Floo you before I got too drunk to remember, although I doubt I could ever forget you."

Ginny leaned precariously low to the fire. "Talon, why didn't you just call me on the cell phone?" She smiled flirtatiously.

"Well, I miss you, Gin, and I wanted to see you," he answered and looked directly into Ginny's eyes.

A soft blush fell on her cheeks. "You are a charmer, Talon. Have I told you that?"

Talon smirked. "Constantly, but I save all my charms just for you."

Ginny leaned forward, her nose almost touching his. "I've missed you, too," she whispered.

"Careful, Gin, don't want another pyro incident," he whispered. Talon laughed when Ginny grumbled and pulled away from the fire.

"You'll never let me live that down, will you?" she asked and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Never; besides, you're beautiful when you're mad." Talon's head was drawn downward to a beeping noise. When he looked up, his smile disappeared. "Shit, I've got to go, Gin; there's been another;…"

Ginny frowned at the news.

"Don't worry, Gin," he said, noticing her frown. "Go ahead and have a good time; I'll try to call you when I get a chance."

"Okay, Talon, and please, don't do anything I wouldn't do?"

Talon's eyebrow rose. "That's interesting, considering who's giving the advice."

Ginny giggled. "Yeah, you are right."

Talon's expression turned serious. "You're stuck with me, G-Dub."

Ginny smiled slightly. "You're stuck with me, too, Talon." He gave her a reassuring smile and was gone from the fire.

Ginny sat back for a minute and stood up to stretch her legs. She moved towards the door; once she had opened it, she jumped back in surprise as she came face to face with Harry.

"Oh! Harry!" Her hand clutched at her chest. "You can't sneak up on people like that!" She playfully shoved him in the arm, but he didn't move. Ginny looked up into his eyes. "What's wrong, Harry? Party too wild for you out there?" she asked sarcastically. But Harry didn't answer; he just stared at her. "What's wrong, Harry?"

Harry finally felt his voice being released. "Who was that you were talking to?"

Ginny looked at him, dumbfounded. "What?" She turned back to where she had been sitting. "Harry, did you listen to my conversation?"

Harry glanced over her shoulder to the fireplace; his eyes narrowed. "Maybe; who was he, Gin?"

Ginny crossed her arms. "Harry, I really don't think it's any of your business who I was talking to."

Harry finally looked down at her. "I do find it my business when I see you talking to some strange bloke in the fireplace."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "You can't be serious, Harry."

He moved closer. "I _am_ serious."

Ginny stepped back. "I can't believe this, since when did you start showing an interest in _my_ life?" Ginny asked angrily and threw her hands up in the air while walking towards the fireplace. "I can't believe this! After all these years of being nonchalant, now you want to give a damn and get jealous?" Ginny spun around to see Harry still standing where she had left him.

"Do you really want to get into this, Harry?"

Harry walked closer to her. "Get into what?" he asked in a low voice.

Ginny stepped back with her arms crossed. "Fine," she walked past him and shut the door. "Talk."

"Who is he, Gin?" he asked again.

Ginny's amber eyes glowed at him. "His name is Talon, Harry. We work together in the States; he's an Auror." She placed her hands on her hips, challenging him.

Harry snorted. "He didn't look intelligent enough to be an Auror."

"Really mature. Harry, and again, since when did you begin to care who I talked to? You never answered my question."

"I've always cared, Ginny."

"Oh, really? So I'm to assume that you've cared the entire time, Harry? Please, I don't need a jealous ex-boyfriend who realizes he cares after six years!"

Harry's voice began to rise. "I've always cared, Ginny. I cared enough to protect you from Voldemort!"

Ginny laughed bitterly. "Yet I never asked for that and told you I didn't care about Voldemort. But you had to do what you saw as noble. I never asked for any of that."

"That was years ago! That doesn't mean I don't think about you."

Ginny stepped closer to him, her eyes blazing, "Bollocks, Harry, but let's be honest: you only give a damn when it's convenient."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he growled at her.

"It means the only time I ever hear from you, Harry, is when you've broken up with your latest fling and decided that I'm worth talking to again."

Harry felt his chest burn. "It's never like that."

"Oh, really? Hmmm…let's see: I never received any Owls from you while you were with Danielle; the floodgate of letters opened when you guys weren't together, and then, as soon as she was back in the picture, '_POOF'_ no more letters! Only recently have I start getting correspondence from you again, because you're in between women. However, I do know when that harlot out on the couch," she jabbed a thumb towards the door, "you've been groping and snogging during the entire party becomes your new bed mate, you'll be silent again."

Harry felt his face sting. He had never reckoned that was how things were between them. His anger began to unfurl. "Well, you're just as bad then. I don't know anything about what you do in Washington besides what you tell Ron and Hermione. Care to explain that?"

"You can't be serious?" The long-seething anger rose from the pit of her stomach, "If you valued our friendship, you never would've abused it as much as you have already!" she yelled.

Harry's eyes widened in surprise. "You think I abuse our friendship?"

"Yes, if that's what you want to call this twisted, one-way relationship we have, yes, _friendship_."

"One-way?" Harry felt confused. He never thought he had treated their friendship badly.

"Yes, _one-way_, Harry. You only take from our friendship and never give. It's _supposed_ to be a give-take relationship, but that's an endearing quality _our_ friendship lacks." She abruptly turned to the fireplace, her shoulders sagging. "And I'm too stupid to realize that you will _**never**_ change."

Harry's eyes sobered as he watched her eyes well up with tears. He stepped closer and moved his hand to touch her cheek. Ginny hastily moved her head away.

"Don't, Harry; don't touch me," she whispered.

Harry stepped away. He needed to know. "Do you love him?"

Ginny's blood shot eyes lifted from the floor to meet his own. "Why, Harry?"

He refused to give up. "Does he make you happy?"

He forced himself to make eye contact, searching for any clue or sign in those pools of amber he always loved to get lost in. He had a strong desire to take her in his arms and never let go again, to prove that he still cared. He took a step closer and felt the heat emanate from her body. She closed her eyes; he reached an arm out to bring her to him.

"Stop, Harry." She held up a hand and pushed him away before replying in a hurt undertone, "You ended this chapter of your life a long time ago."

Harry felt crestfallen as he watched Ginny walk out of the room and out of his life.

* * *

"Earth to Harry?"

Harry broke from his memory as Ron waved a hand in front of his face. "You all right, mate?"

Harry shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. "Yeah, of course."

"Well, I'm going to catch up with Ginny." Ron looked at his friend suspiciously. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine." Harry raked a hand through his untidy hair.

Ron nodded his head. "I still can't believe Ginny is back and didn't tell anyone."

"Er, yeah, surprising, isn't it?"

Ron turned to leave before he stopped one last time to look at Harry. He had gone pale and continued to stare off into space. Ron hadn't seen Harry this detached in years.

"Hey, are you up for drinks, if Ginny agrees?"

Harry raised his head. "I guess."

Ron observed his friend with an eyebrow raised. "Okay, I'll see you back in the office." He walked out of the office in search of Ginny and left Harry alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Ginny sat at her desk in her new office in an attempt to comprehend her predecessor's filing technique. The meeting had gone all right, although she was a little surprised to see whom she would be working with. _I have to remember to have a word with him about this_. Ginny looked out the charmed window and then leaned back further into the leather chair. _Who ever had this office before made it homey_, she mused to herself as she ran her finger along the mahogany desk. She looked around at the wood panelling; it was a big contrast to the sterile, white walls of her old office. "This is too cosy; I'll change it when I'm more settled," she muttered to herself and started to unpack her files when there was a knock at the door.

"Enter."

A tall, familiar redhead poked his head in. "Hey, mind if I visit?"

"No, please, sit down."

Ron entered and looked around the office; he let out a low whistle. "Nice accommodations. I see they gave you Wallace's old office." He settled down in the chair in front of her. He leaned forward, resting his long arms on the smooth edge of the desk. She could feel his steel blue eyes studying her silently before he spoke. "So, Gin, why the code of secrecy?"

A thin red eyebrow arched. "What?"

"I'm your brother,_ family_. Why didn't you let anyone know you were coming home?"

Ginny shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I only found out yesterday about the assignment and it wasn't confirmed until today. I had just arrived in the country an hour before the meeting."

Ron tilted his head and concentrated his eyes on her. Ginny immediately recognized her brother's habit of gauging to see if she was faltering in her explanation. If years of playing chess against her brother taught her one thing, it was to keep a blank expression.

"Uh-huh. Do Mum and Dad know your home?" he asked.

"Yes, I stopped by the burrow before I Apparated here."

Ron appeared to loosen up. "Okay, good. So, Gin," he muttered. She glanced up to see his unblinking eyes boring into her. "What's so important with this case that they had to bring you in?"

Ginny sighed; she had foreseen that question a mile away. "I can't disclose anything yet, Ron." She placed a hand on his wrist to stop him from questioning her further. "I can only tell you the circumstances of the way the victim was found is similar to a case I worked on in the States, and I'm here to see if, indeed, there is a link." She removed her hand from his wrist. Ginny didn't think it was safe yet to tell him what the case really involved.

Ron's brow furrowed. "All right, I can deal with you not telling me exactly what's going on. But, Gin--"

"As a matter of fact," she cut his question off, "I was hoping to get an early start and see the victim today." Her hands clasped in front of her.

"Well, Harry brought that one in and has been working on the report since."

"Is Harry in his office?" Ginny asked.

Ron shook his head. "When I left, he was still in Kingsley's office. He should be in his own office by now."

Ginny reached over and wrote on a piece of parchment then muttered a spell; the parchment took flight and sailed out the door. "Hopefully, the memo will reach him, wherever he is," her attention returned to Ron who was gaping at her. "What?"

"When did you get all professional?"

Ginny smirked. "Sorry I'm used to the protocol in my office. Well, I hate to cut our reunion short, dear brother, but that memo hopefully got to Harry by now, and I need to meet him down in the labs." She rose and removed her robes, replacing them with a white lab jacket.

"Okay. Oh, before I forget, do you want to go out for drinks after work? I know people would love to see you."

She smiled. "If your friend gets down there in a timely fashion, then we'll see."

Ron reached to hug his only sister; she stiffened slightly before relaxing into the hug, "Welcome home, Ginny."

* * *

Ginny stood outside the labs waiting for Harry. She paced silently with the clipboard pressed against her chest, but stopped once she heard footsteps reaching the bottom of the stairs. She didn't acknowledge him until the footsteps stopped behind her.

"Hey."

"Potter."

Harry was taken aback. _Potter? _Right, well, let's go."

Harry unlocked the door to let Ginny in. "You should be getting a set of these soon," he said, shaking his keys.

"Okay."

"You'll have unlimited access that way." He walked down the hall, listening to the echo of her heels as they slowly approached a lab door. "Here, we can use lab six. I'll go retrieve the body." He left the room and returned with a lab assistant who helped him with the gurney.

Harry moved the body into the middle of the room. Ginny set her clipboard on the small table and removed a tape recorder.

"Is that a Muggle recording device?" he asked. He never knew of anyone in the Ministry using one.

Ginny glanced over her shoulder. "Yes, I find this easier to keep notes with than Quick Quills." She turned to face him. "Before we begin, I'm going to assess the condition of the body; after that, I am going to ask you some basic questions."

Harry nodded as he grabbed a stool and sat down; Ginny seized the tape recorder and began speaking.

"Ginny Weasley, case number zero-one-five-two-seven, 5th of August, time of examination 15:30." She took in a deep breath and began to speak, "The victim is female, Jane Doe, found dead 27th of July in an open field outside of Godric Hollow. She has medium length brown hair and brown eyes. The estimated age range is between twenty and thirty. There are no visible markings on the front of the body and no visible defense wounds on the arms, hands, or legs." She rolled the body on its side. "However, there does appear to be a few blue and purple lesions along the lumbar and sacral regions. No toxicology reports have been done at this time. No weapons were found near the body, no wand; all incantations were unsuccessful in producing any manifestations on the body, no plausible cause of death at this time, and manner of death is still in question."

Ginny nodded at Harry before speaking, "Mr. Potter, what was the manner in which the victim was found?"

He flinched hearing her formally address him. "Call me 'Harry'," he muttered, looking up from his shoes. Ginny stopped the tape and stared at him. "What was that?" She started the recorder again.

"Nothing, the woman was found, fully clothed in a field, by a splinched witch."

"Were you the first on the scene?"

"Um, yeah, I received notice to Apparate to the location."

"Was this the first homicide in this area?" Ginny questioned.

"Yes, this is the first since the end of the war."

"Was there anything out of the ordinary about this discovery?"

Harry rubbed the hair on his chin. "Now that you mention it, yes, this was the first one we received that we couldn't identify the cause of death with any of our usual diagnostic incantations and spells."

Ginny turned off the tape recorder. "That's why I was called in." She moved around from the opposite side of the table towards Harry with her hand extended. "Thank you, Potter. I think I'm going to stay to examine the body more thoroughly."

Harry shook her hand. "If you need anything, just let me know." He still held onto her hand, rubbing his thumb across the back. He lowered his head towards her ear. "And please, call me 'Harry'," he whispered.

Harry watched her amber eyes widen and blink. "Fine, Harry." Ginny released his hand and headed towards the cabinet and started to pull out equipment. Harry stared after her before he left the room.

* * *

Harry rushed up the stairs two at a time. He couldn't believe what he had just done. _Did I just hold her hand and whisper into her ear? I must be going mad!_He moved quickly through the hallways, until he reached his destinatino. He knocked on the door impatiently and waited for response. 

"Yes?"

Harry pushed opened the door. "Hermione, I need to talk to you."

Hermione eyed Harry and glanced at her assistant. "All right, Stephanie, we'll finish this up later." Stephanie, her assistant, nodded and bustled out the room, leaving Harry and Hermione staring at each other.

"Well, Harry, you want to talk? So talk."

He was set back by Hermione's harsh attitude; he opened his mouth but she stopped him. "I'm sorry, Harry. There was no need for me to be short with you." She leaned forward and rubbed her temples. "It's just been a very trying day."

"Well, I can leave," he offered.

"No, No. I could use break." She smiled. "So, what's on your mind Harry?"

"She's back," he muttered.

Hermione's eyebrows rose dramatically. "Oh, yes. Ron told me after the meeting. She is working on the case with you."

"Yeah, but, Hermione, it's just…odd."

"What do you mean, 'odd'?"

"Well, I haven't spoken or seen her in two years. And it's just odd seeing her again."

Hermione eyed Harry suspiciously. "What did you do, Harry?"

Harry threw his hands up in defense. "I didn't do anything. Well, maybe I did hold onto her hand a little longer than was necessary and whispered in her ear."

Hermione looked as though she was trying very hard to suppress a laugh. "Is that it?"

His eyes narrowed, "Is that's it? I fondle someone that I haven't spoken to in years; who I'm pretty sure still hates me--"

"Harry, stop," Hermione interrupted. "You're rambling incoherently. Besides, holding someone's hand is hardly fondling, and I'm sure Ginny doesn't hate you."

"We've gone over this before, Hermione. You know what happened the last time I saw her."

"And, Harry, I've told you Ginny was angry and hurt. You've should've talked to her a long time ago. Instead, you decided to wait until two years had passed."

He frowned. "It's not like I planned it like this. I wanted to talk to her."

"But you didn't. Instead you traipsed around here with every available witch, trying to push Ginny from your consciousness."

Harry's jaw dropped. _Damn it, she was always right_."Well, that's beside the point," he sputtered.

"What exactly is your point, Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry sighed and mussed his hair up more. "I don't know. It was as if seeing her again brought back old memories of how we use to be."

"When you were friends?"

"Yes, I know I'll never be able to fully repair the damage I did to our friendship, but a part of me still has a need for her to be a friend."

Hermione placed a hand on his. "Harry, you've come through here every few months beating yourself up over what happened two years ago. You need to let go."

"I know," he huffed, "but a part of me can't."

"You do know what led to the ending of your friendship, don't you?"

"You mean when I manipulated our friendship and used her? Yes of course, Hermione, I know this. We've talked about it for years now."

"But, why the sudden change, Harry? You didn't remember your heartache when you started dating that intern." Harry's eyes narrowed at her. "It's just your sudden strong feelings are, well, random."

"I don't know; I guess it's 'out of sight, out of mind'. I never realized how much I missed her until I saw her today." He stood up and began to pace. "My random emotions are not clear cut, Hermione. Ginny's back, this means she will be at the Burrow along with me!" Harry threw himself back down into his seat. "Hell, I still don't know if she told her brothers what happened. I just don't want to create any unnecessary tension at family gatherings because of what happened between Ginny and me. "

Hermione watched him quietly for a moment before speaking, "What do you want from her, Harry?"

Harry sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I want what we had; I want to be able to joke and laugh with her again."

"Harry, let me give you a bit of advice," Hermione said in calm voice. "It's doubtful you will get back to what you had. I can't speak for Ginny, but I do know that if you want to have any type of relationship with her, you need to gain her trust again."

"Trust?" he asked.

"Yes, Harry, trust. That is a good foundation for any relationship."

Harry nodded his head, mulling over the information. "Thanks, Dr. Granger"

Hermione laughed. "I swear, after all these years, I'm going to start charging you for our sessions."

Harry smiled and pulled Hermione into a hug. "Thanks." He let go and left her alone in her office.

Hermione stood and watched the door close; she settled behind her desk with a worried expression on her face. She remembered the drastic change in Harry's behaviour once Ginny left for the final time and the issues Ginny had been dealing with for the past year. _Maybe Harry is what Ginny needs right now. Maybe they both need each other,_ she thought. Hermione sat for a few moments and stared at the door before she acknowledged the paperwork that surrounded her. "This should be interesting," she muttered and dove back into her work.

* * *

For the next several days, Ginny lived in the examination room. She gave the case her undivided attention, even if it meant lack of sleep. She was driven to find something--anything--at that point. She had to beg off drinks with her brother and Hermione after her first night back home. Since then, she hadn't seen or spoken to anyone, unless Bradford, the night janitor, counted. Ginny hadn't felt the need to explain her dedication to the case; she knew Hermione would understand the root of her diligence. However she doubted that Ron would and decided to stick to the 'what they don't know, won't hurt them' mantra. Ginny had performed almost every diagnostic spell and charm, and used every diagnostic potion imaginable, yet nothing new was revealed, and her patience was running thin as she took out her wand and tried the next spell.

"_Divulgare Secretus_," she sighed. The wand emitted a violet light as she circled it over the young woman's body. After fifteen minutes, she found what she expected: nothing.

"Shite," she rubbed her temples erratically. "Whoever is casting these spells is becoming increasingly stealthy about it."

"You're correct."

Ginny started and dropped her wand. She bent down to pick it up and her eyes caught a familiar set of trainers. "I see you still have a tendency to sneak up on people." Ginny placed her wand adjacent to the body.

Hermione smiled. "Yes. Actually, I came down here to find you. A parcel arrived for you."

"A parcel?" Ginny said a curious gleam in her eyes. "Who sent it?"

"The Institute," Hermione answered and handed the parcel to Ginny.

Ginny inspected the box. She noticed an insignia on it. "Hermione, did you send for this?"

"No, someone else must've known you would need it."

Ginny glimpsed around the examination room, as if the person in question was going to step forward.

"Shouldn't you open it, Ginny?"

Her brow furrowed. "You know how I am, Hermione."

Hermione nodded her head. "I'm well aware, but there's the insignia," she pointed out.

Ginny shook her head; she was being paranoid. The endless hours in the lab were beginning to take their toll. She sighed. "I guess you are right." She pried open the box and let out a low whistle.

"What is it?"

Ginny glanced at Hermione. "It's a prototype of something the Institute is developing."

Hermione stepped next to her and looked into the box. "Ginny, it looks like a Muggle camera."

Ginny lifted the camera out. "Well, technically, it _was_ a Muggle camera. This is a modified version of it."

"Modified?"

"Un-huh," she muttered. She reached for her bag and pulled out two pairs of heavily tinted glasses. "Here, put these on and kill the lights," she said and handed Hermione a pair of glasses. Instantly cloaked in darkness, Ginny tapped the camera with her wand to activate it; a low hum met their ears. Ginny picked up the device and began scanning the body.

"Ginny, why is it a camera?"

"Its not; it just looks that way because it looks less suspicious when you transporting it around."

"Oh," Hermione whispered.

Ginny continued, "Every spell leaves some type of residual magic, regardless of how advanced it is." She gestured to the camera. "This emits a harmless, converted particle beam that can detect 99.9of any spells developed in the last one thousand years. The beam is specifically calibrated to all magical properties in the world. Plus, it puts on one hell of a light show!"

Hermione laughed at Ginny's enthusiasm. She carefully watched as Ginny continued the slow process of a total body scan. Ginny stopped around the lower back of the woman. "Son of a bitch," she muttered. "The lights, Hermione, please." Her voice became serious.

Hermione turned on the lights. Ginny shoved her glasses to the top of her head and began digging in her rucksack. She finally pulled out a sheet of film and pressed it against the victim's skin. Pointing her wand and muttering an unrecognizable spell, a loud i Snap /i rang off the walls.

"What did you find?" Hermione questioned.

Ginny held up the film in front of the light. A high level of panic coursed through her. She could feel her heart ramming in her chest and her body heaving as she desperately tried to breathe through her burning lungs.

"Ginny?" Hermione placed her hand on Ginny shoulders, shaking her slightly. "Ginny?"

Ginny locked eyes with Hermione. Her voice unwilling to cooperate, she gasped, "It's happening again."

* * *

Harry pushed through the double doors, leaving the empty Auror locker room behind him. Usually when Harry would stay behind after a training session, it meant he was going to push himself to the point of exhaustion to clear his mind. This time the conversation from days earlier had decided to haunt him, which made his session a complete waste. He sighed. _Maybe I'm not supposed to forget about it, but actually do something_ he thought to himself. He shoved his hands in his pockets and trudged towards the exit. He was so caught up in his thoughts, he didn't notice the small form slumped on a nearby bench.

"Ginny?" She didn't move. "Ginny?" She slowly lifted her head from her lap. Harry dropped down to her level, pushing the hair away from her face. "Hey, Gin, you okay?"

Ginny eyes were lifeless. "I'm fine," she croaked, "just tired."

He cocked his head to the side to study her. "Well, I expect so; I heard you've been practically living here."

"Yeah, constant vigilance." She laughed dryly. Her small hand reached into her robes and withdrew a bottle of pills.

"What are those, Gin?" He had never known her to take Muggle remedies before.

"It's nothing, Harry. I have them for my nerves," she answered while she tried to stand up.

"Are you okay to get home?" he asked.

She looked at him with bleary eyes. "Let's hope so." Harry reached to grab her arm, but she flinched at his touch. Hermione's words echoed in his head, _'You have to regain her trust again.'_ He cleared his throat. "Please, let me help you?"

Ginny shoulders sagged in quick defeat. "Fine, I'm too tired to argue anyway."

Harry began to direct her to a fireplace when she stopped him. "I'm not connected to the Floo network; I drive." She dangled her keys in his face. He withdrew the keys from her hand and guided her outside. The cool night air of London nipped at them both. _She seems so different and detached,_ Harry noted when he glanced down at her petite form. i _Ron was right; there is a difference._ They walked in silence until Ginny pointed to the black sports car parked at the corner.

As they approached the car, Harry's eyes widened. "Is that an MGB Convertible?" he asked.

Ginny grinned. "Un-huh, a fully restored 1974 MGB Convertible."

Harry stood and gaped at the beautiful car before he decided to unlock the door. "I didn't know you were into cars."

She chuckled lightly. "There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Harry."

Harry's hand went to pull the door open when they heard the clattering of heels approaching them from behind.

"Harry! Harry!" He turned to see Adriana running towards him. She immediately flung her body against his and kissed him. "Oh, Harry, I was waiting for you in the lobby. I must've missed you when I went down to the locker room to look for you," she huffed. "But now I found you." Her eyes landed on Ginny, who was leaning against her car. "Where were you going? Did you forget about tonight?" She pouted and tossed her long black hair to the side.

"Er…" He felt trapped. "Actually, I was on my way to drop Ginny off to her flat. You've met Ginny before, right? Ron's sister?"

Adriana looked in Ginny's direction and flashed a toothy smile. "I think so; what's wrong? Is she sick?" she asked Harry while glaring at Ginny.

Harry stared in wonderment that Ginny hadn't said anything yet. The Ginny he remembered would've made a smart remark by this time. It bothered him that she hadn't--for some reason--and he surveyed the silent glares being exchanged between the two women.

"Um--" he muttered.

"Actually," Ginny cut him off, "the answer is 'No', Adriana." Ginny pushed off the car and snatched the keys from his hand. "I've just had a long day, that's all." This time Ginny gave a malicious grin.

"Oh, well, I'm sorry to hear that." Adriana turned her attention back to Harry. "Harry," she said, her voice deep and sultry, "our reservation is for nine, and it's eight-thirty now." She threw another smile in Ginny's direction. "I'm sure Ginny is more than capable to drive herself now, isn't she?" She leaned against Harry's chest and purred something in Spanish that caused him to turn pink.

Ginny's eyes narrowed. "Yes, more than you know."

Harry desperately tried to catch Ginny's eyes, hoping she would understand Adriana's possessive behaviour. It appeared Ginny had noticed the pleading look in his eyes, but she also appeared to have chosen to ignore it.

"Don't worry about it, Potter," Ginny said.

_Damn. She's calling me 'Potter' again!_

"Have a nice night, you two." Ginny opened the door and then started her car.

"Oh, thanks, we will!" Adriana yelled as she waved, while Harry stared as Ginny revved her engine and speed off, disappearing into the night.

* * *

A million thoughts swirled through Ginny's head as she pulled up to her house; her mind was going one hundred miles per hour. She couldn't seem to settle on anything, so she slumped over her steering wheel and inhaled and exhaled deeply. "Calm, down. Calm down." She felt her racing thoughts finally lose some steam. Ginny locked her car and walked slowly up the stairs to her door. She fumbled with the keys for a minute before opening the door. Ginny's head whipped around to stare intently behind her. _Did I just hear something?_ she wondered. Her eyes swept up and down the deserted street. "You're losing it, Ginevra," she whispered. She entered her house and closed the door.

A slight breeze pulled on the trees, causing the few dead leaves to dance down the street. "I do hope so." A gruff voice cut through the night air as a lone figure slowly walked down the street whistling.

* * *

A/N: I know Adrianna is Brazilian and they speak Portuguese but it plays a part later on in the story.

Also alot of thanks to my awesome beta's Phoenixlls and ChaoticK. I am truly sorry about the delay in updating, The holiday's arrived and life caught up. But be assured those days were put to good use as I developedthe story line and future characters. Since Ive written so far ahead, hopefully the updates will be more frequent. But if you want to tar and feather me, I don't blame you.

Also thanks goes to Reciprokates, leia, IHeartRon9819, Gertygirl, Harrysmom, RamaFan and Notthatsocial for reviewing. You took a little time to review and I GREATLY appreciated it. Reviewing drives me to write people coughreviewcough

Upcoming in Ch3...More questions arise, Ginny's has a mysterious visitor and poor Harry has a very long day.

Read and Review please.


	3. Chapter 3: A Hard Day's Night

Edgedancer of Madness

By: Enygma1920

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters you recognize. The ones you're familiar with are from the wonderful mind of J.K. Rowling. Any others are from my own overactive imagination.

Chapter 3: A Hard Day's Night

* * *

Tucked deep into the bowels of the Ministry of Magic, the stillness of the Auror locker room was shattered as a throng of dirty, tired Aurors stumbled in. Between the cursing, mud-covered persons, there was a bright beacon of red hair leading path towards a set of lockers. In stride next to him, was a head covered in messy, raven locks decorated with bits of twigs and dirt. The redhead winced as he sat down on the bench and began to rub his shoulders. "That was bloody awful," Ron muttered as Harry nodded in agreement.

The last three hours had been horrible, atrocious even. They and the other Auror's in their unit had spent another gruelling training session at the hands of Tonks and her self-made 'Gauntlet of Misery' - as the Aurors called it. In Harry's opinion, it had to be the most brutal yet efficient Auror training module around. The only one that even came close was the infamous 'Eliminator' run by an elusive, American Auror. Harry moved his hand gingerly in attempt to stop the painful, throbbing in his right shoulder.

"Are you all right?" Ron asked.

"Yeah." Harry removed his glasses and wiped the specks of mud from them. "Nothing that a nice, long shower can't cure."

Ron nodded glumly and slowly limped towards the showers; Harry followed suit, gathering his belongings and finding an available shower. The feel of the hot water rushing over his sore body soothed his tortured muscles. He knew that any other day that a Stinging Hex wouldn't have had a chance in hell of touching him, but his mind hadn't been focused on the tactical defense techniques he was supposed to be using. Instead, it had meandered off against his will. But when Harry felt the heat from the hex burn his shoulder, he knew he would be cornered and receive the inevitable talk from Kingsley or Tonks on his substandard performance that day.

Harry closed his eyes and let his mind wander to the phantom woman that haunted his everyday thoughts. Harry felt his stomach slightly recoil as the events of Friday night replayed in his head. He didn't know how to approach the situation or even if there was a _situation_ with Ginny. The girl he remembered would've retaliated in some way by putting on a perfect display of the notorious Weasley temper; instead, the woman that had stood in front of him that night just leaned against her car and remained silent.

Harry honestly didn't know how to act or speak around her after so many years apart, and the mere thought of running into her and things becoming even more strained were enough to make him nauseated. _I've got to do this_ he told himself. _I can talk to, Ginny, right? She's the same girl I remember, right? I can do this, can't I_ He could feel his confidence slowly gaining strength under the mental accolades. _You do realize that all this could've been avoided if you hadn't waited for five years _his conscience pointed out. Harry groaned as the strong, fortified confidence he had built up over the years faltered slightly with the thought of actually having to talk to Ginny. Since his body was no longer feeling the soothing influence of the shower, Harry turned off the water and exited to the locker room.

As he reached his locker, he was surprised to see Ron sitting down and waiting for him. Usually after a hard session, Ron would be the first in line at the canteen, piling food on his tray. To see him sitting there, waiting, was a bit suspicious, in Harry's opinion.

"Looks like you've got a lot on your mind," Ron said.

"You have no idea," Harry muttered and pulled a shirt over his head.

"Having problems with your intern, eh?" Ron asked cheekily.

Harry shot a glare at his friend. "No, she's fine."

Ron's steely eyes studied him quietly before speaking, "Good, Harry. I was wondering, could this sudden spell of inattentiveness be linked to a certain sibling of mine that you've had the pleasure of recently working with?" he grinned.

"If you're speaking of Fred or George, then no." Harry noticed that Ron seemed to be getting too much amusement out of this conversation.

Ron drummed his fingers against the locker. "I noticed you didn't come over for dinner yesterday. Mum was worried about you. I told her you were a bit under the weather and decided to stay home."

Harry glanced over and saw Ron smirking at him. "You missing dinner had nothing to do with Ginny, did it?" he asked.

"No," Harry lied. "I guess I just forgot," He knew it was a bad lie; he always made it a point to be at the Burrow every Sunday for dinner, regardless.

"Uh-huh, right. Harry, is there a reason you're avoiding Ginny?"

"No, and why are you interrogating me?" Harry was growing increasingly irritated with Ron's odd queries.

"Well to tell you the truth, _mate_, your intern has a big mouth. I overheard her telling another witch about Friday night."

Harry stopped lacing his boots; he was dumbstruck. He attempted to say something, anything, but could only manage to open and close his mouth several times until Ron finally spoke, putting a stop to Harry's futile attempts to speak, "Listen, I don't believe that cock and bull story she was telling but, if any part of it is true, you might want to talk to Ginny."

Harry was curious as to what exactly Adriana had told people. He didn't think the encounter was worthy of Ministry gossip, but then again, when had anything involving him not been fuel for gossip. "Did she mention it to you on Sunday?" Harry asked.

"No, Ginny didn't talk much yesterday."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she was tense about something but wouldn't talk about it. During dinner, she would sit and listen to the conversations around her, but she hardly spoke. Of course, this isn't odd behaviour for anyone else, you know, but we _are _talking about Ginny, who _never_ shuts up, especially at meals, unless you count your first visit at the Burrow. But still, it's pretty odd," he reflected.

"Fred and George pulled out all the stops at dinner - trying to make her laugh - but nothing worked. They mentioned to me afterward that even her eyes didn't have that mischievous glint to them anymore. Do you know that they turned Percy into a canary twice and all they got out of her was a half-arsed giggle?"

Harry peered at Ron. Harry had noticed the difference in her eyes while in the lab. The vibrant, amber radiance that could make his knees weak had long since been extinguished for him. "Maybe she has a lot on her mind, Ron. She has just moved back. Maybe she needs time to adjust."

Ron shook his head. "I don't think so, Harry. This weird behaviour has been going on for years." He turned and faced Harry directly. "It began two years ago when Ginny stopped coming home for the holidays. Mum would invite her, but she would give work as an excuse. Even Percy would leave work for Christmas. Last Christmas, she only sent an Owl."

Harry couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for Ginny's increased absence at the Burrow over the years. He always blamed it on the way that things had ended between them, and the fact he was her brother's best mate didn't help, either. It was easier for her to stay away from everyone altogether than to try to avoid just him. When Ginny first arrived back in England, he had expected a detached attitude towards him, but it didn't occur to him her family would be on the receiving end of it, as well.

"I have a feeling Hermione knows more than we think," Ron rubbed his chin, "and I can't figure out what's it's about. I have my theories, though."

Harry groaned and slumped against the lockers. "Theories? Not this again, Ron." Harry knew it had been a mistake to give Ron the book: _Conspiracies, Cults and Cover-ups_ for his birthday last year. Ever since then, Ron was a self-proclaimed, professional conspiracy theorist. Ron spent weeks proclaiming outrageous theories to anyone within earshot. Time and again, Harry would find Ron with his nose firmly buried in the newest conspiracy book, instead of working on the idle stack of reports on his desk. Initially, Hermione was pleased to see Ron take up the hobby of reading, especially since this was one of her own favourite hobbies. Unfortunately, the bliss was short-lived after an explosive row about Ron's current theory on the reasoning for the protection, or 'enslavement' as Hermione put it, of house elves because of the feeding tendencies of the crumple-horned snorkack.

Needless to say, after a threat of hexes and curses from Hermione, Ron was more tentative about sharing his theories around her; however, that didn't stop him from sharing them with Harry. Ron ignored Harry's remark and appeared to be gearing up to divulge his newest theory about Ginny, but thankfully the locker room door opened and a thatch of pink hair popped in.

"Wotcher, Harry."

"Hey, Tonks."

Tonks entered the empty locker room and stood in front of them. "I was wondering what was keeping you two. Are you both okay?" The Auror eyed them carefully.

"Of course."

"Never better."

"Good." Tonks turned on her heels, and began to walk towards the exit. She stopped. "Oh, and Harry," she looked over her shoulder at both of them, "stop by my office sometime before you leave today."

Harry resisted the urge to groan, "Right." Tonks smiled and left the locker room. Harry closed his eyes, and gently banged his head against the locker.

"Come on, mate." Ron pulled his friend to his feet toward the exit. "We've missed lunch already and I'm starving." Harry reluctantly allowed himself to be dragged towards the exit. As he ascended the stairs behind Ron, Harry couldn't shake the feel that this was just the start of a _long_ day.

* * *

Both men managed to scavenge something from the canteen for a quick lunch and were on their way back to the office they shared. Harry inspected the chip butty in his hand; it was not exactly what he had in mind for lunch, but it would have to do. A painful elbow jab broke through Harry thoughts. "Ow! Damn it, Ron!" He rubbed the sore spot. "What was that for?"

"Who is that Hermione's talking to?" Ron pointed.

Harry's eyes roamed over to where Ron's had gestured. He had never seen the woman around the Ministry before. She stood a little taller than Hermione, with a tan complexion. They were huddled in conversation, oblivious to everyone around them.

"And it looks like she's wearing Muggle clothing," Ron noted. "That's a little odd for the Ministry, don't you think?"

Harry watched as both women threw back their heads in laughter. The mystery woman ruffled her short brown hair roughly, which caused Hermione to laugh harder. "Maybe she's one of those consultants Hermione works with from one of the other Ministries," Harry offered.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Ron folded his arms and then leaned against the wall. "It's just that something seems oddly familiar about her."

Harry looked back over at the duo; he couldn't differentiate her face from any of the other Ministry witches he was familiar with. "If you say so, mate." Harry patted his friend's shoulder. "Come on; let's get back to the office so we can get some work done before my meeting." Ron reluctantly left his stance and both men set off down the hall towards the lift.

"Yeah, you should attempt to close some of those files on your desk and get them to Tonks. No need to add more petrol to the fire, because Tonks is going to flambé your arse for this morning's performance," Ron laughed.

Harry shoved his hands deep into his pockets and muttered a string of curses. This did indeed look like the beginning of not only a long day but also an arduous week.

* * *

Ginny sat behind her desk, absently humming to herself as she thumbed through an old case file for the millionth time that afternoon. She had been at it since seven that morning, searching for that ever-elusive clue which could trigger a chain reaction of conclusions and change the entire investigation. After she drew up empty once again, Ginny threw the file down in disgust and closed her eyes with the hope that the headache that she was developing wouldn't get any worse. She winced in pain from the intense, rhythmic throbs pounding at her temples. She tightly fisted the quill in her hand, which caused it to snap in two.

"Damn cheap quills," she muttered, as she studied the splinters. "I don't know how in the hell I used to use these things," she said as she chucked the quill aside and then reached down for a Muggle pen. The office door slowly creaked open; out of habit, she reached for her wand, but stopped when she recognized the presence. Ginny ducked her head and listened to the sharp footsteps approach her desk.

"What if I were to tell you I left three days ago and no one seems to know where I've gone? Really, I'm on my way home."

A smile sneaked across Ginny's face. "I would respond; it might not be such a bad idea if you never went home again." She eagerly glanced up, ready to be greeted with, _Wait - what happened to her eye_ She wondered. The guest fidgeted under Ginny's bewildered stare and hastily sat down in a chair.

"How are things, Pyro?"

Ginny snapped out of her trance and rolled her eyes. "You will never let me live that down will you, Zeddie?"

"Don't intend to," she replied, with a grin. "And don't call me that."

"How are you, Phoenix?" She looked at her friend with some trepidation.

"I'm okay, how about you?" Phoenix asked.

"Good." Ginny focused on the appearance of the woman in front of her. "I see you clean up nicely," she cracked, with the change of subject.

Phoenix looked down at her simple business attire. "Ah, yes so fresh and so clean-clean," she laughed. "But, considering this is the Ministry of Magic, I can't traipse in here looking like I just finished a field mission."

"By the way, how did you know where my office was?"

Phoenix laughed again, "Did you forget who you're talking to?"

Ginny rolled her eyes sardonically. "How long are you here for?"

"Just a few hours; we're en route to an assignment." She gazed around the office. "Nice accommodations, by the way."

Ginny frowned. "It's not like my old office... this one is too..."

"Stuffy?"

"Exactly," she giggled. "And who exactly are _we_?"

"Just Rapture and me. There have been reports of suspicious activity involving the trafficking of illegal potion ingredients," Phoenix answered. "The usual."

"Hmmm, that sounds like fun."

"Oh, yeah, tons of fun, can't wait," Phoenix replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "How goes the Godric Investigation?"

Ginny picked up the thick folder and handed it to her. "See for yourself."

Phoenix opened it and began to read, her eyes widened, "This is... What's your opinion on it?"

"I think there is a possible relationship between this investigation and the Leviathan Case."

"Shit," Phoenix whispered. She sat the file back down on Ginny's desk and then let out a low whistle and met Ginny's eyes. "That's pretty damn significant, have you told--"

"Yes," she answered, cutting off her friend. Ginny knew exactly what thoughts were running through Phoenix's mind; they were the same thoughts that had haunted her for the past few days.

Phoenix leaned back in her chair. "I need a drink," she muttered.

Ginny smiled empathetically and pulled out two glasses and a bottle of Captain Ogden's Rum she had stashed in her desk drawer. She filled both glasses generously and pushed one over in front of the other witch.

Phoenix snatched the glass, then proceeded to drain it in one go. "Which Aurors were working the case before you?"

Ginny finished off her own glass and then refilled them both. "My brother and Potter were, but now it's just Potter's case."

Phoenix paused mid-sip; she removed the glass from her lips, setting it down gingerly. "Potter? You don't mean Harry Potter, do you?"

Ginny threw a quizzical glance at the witch. "Phoenix, how many Aurors do you know with the surname Potter?"

"Actually, smart-arse, for your information, there is an American Auror named Steven Potter." She winked. "But how is that going? Working with the famous Harry Potter?"

"It's fine," Ginny automatically answered.

Phoenix threw back her head and cackled. "Are you playing nice, at least?"

Ginny narrowed her eyes. "Yes, I _am_ a professional, Phoenix."

"Cut the bullshit. Since when did you get all professional? You're sure as hell aren't with the rest of us. So why start now?" she laughed.

"Oh, just shut it, Phoenix," Ginny groaned in exasperation and flopped into her chair and then glared crossly at the other woman.

"Well, besides being civil to the boy, have you talked to him at least?" Phoenix asked.

"As a matter of fact, last week we had a civilized conversation." Ginny crossed her arms triumphantly.

"You do realize, Ginny, that a real conversation isn't one held in an examining room discussing the case," Phoenix leered.

Ginny's thin eyebrows arched. _How in the hell did she know _"Guess you know me too well, eh? So no, I haven't had a _real _conversation with him."

"You know you're going to have to, eventually, especially with this new evidence you've discovered. You _are_ working with him."

Ginny was aware that she would have to speak to Harry, eventually; she just wasn't sure that she was ready yet. "Yes, I know."

"Promise me one thing, Gin."

"Sure."

Phoenix leaned back in her chair and studied Ginny closely before speaking. "Well, it's just... don't allow your _issues_ with Potter to sidetrack you during this investigation."

_What the hell did she mean by that _Ginny speculated. As far as she was concerned, any 'issues' with Harry were a dead subject. "Regardless of whatever _issues_ you believe I have with Potter, be assured that I won't let it affect the case," she replied disparagingly.

Phoenix nodded her head slowly as she removed her glasses and began to clean them.

_She does seem to have a point_ she finally admitted; she would never allow anything, especially the past, threaten the integrity of this case or any case for that matter. Even if it was the complicated, emotional, almost trivial past she shared with Harry. Ginny had to keep a level of professionalism at all times; the last thing she needed would be for old emotions to cloud her judgment. Ginny's gaze slowly wandered over to the hunched figure of Phoenix, who was carefully cleaning her glasses when she remembered what had distracted her about Phoenix's appearance in the first place. "Phoenix, what happened to your eye?"

Phoenix fumbled her glasses before she returned them to their perch on her angular nose. "Oh, is it that noticeable?"

"Well considering you have one brown eye and the other is half brown and half blue, I'd say 'yes'."

"We'll it's been gradually changing since I was released from the hospital last year." Phoenix shifted in her seat. "It started off as a small blemish and spread from there. I didn't really notice it until last week, probably because I didn't want to," she muttered; her eyes shifted downward and away from Ginny's. "So _Pyro_, what do you do for fun around here?"

Ginny recognized Phoenix's topic evading tactics and knew better than to probe the subject any further. "Well, I come in early sometimes to train with the other Aurors, and then I sit behind this desk for hours, comparing cases. Then I spend my evenings in the lab performing diagnostic spells on evidence. After a few disappointing hours of that, I drive home to an empty house and collapse into my empty bed, only to wake up and start the vicious cycle all over again the next day." She smiled sarcastically. "You, of all people, should know we have no time for fun in our occupation."

Phoenix's eyebrows furrowed. "Why are you doing it, again?"

"Doing what?"

"Becoming absorbed in your work, that's what." Phoenix crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "You're spending all your time among these files and not going home. You've picked up exactly where you left off from in D.C." She cocked her head to the side. "I know you refused to celebrate your birthday last week. Care to explain that?"

Ginny felt her anger simmering. "So, been talking to Hermione, have you? What else has your little informant told you?" she asked scathingly.

"Hermione, my informant? Ha! Hermione simply mentioned it in conversation, earlier, and is only looking out for your best interests. She is right to worry about you; we both are."

"How many times do I have to tell you all that I'm _fine_!" Ginny cried and slammed her fist on the desk. She was growing tired of the endless prodding about her wellbeing. _Can't they just leave me alone_ "Tell me, Phoenix, why is my wellbeing any concern of yours?" Ginny knew immediately after statement left her mouth that she had struck a nerve with Phoenix.

Phoenix's steely glare made Ginny shiver; Phoenix's wrath hadn't been personally directed at her in years.

"First of all,_don't _catch a damn attitude with me," she hissed, leaning forward in a menacing manner. "Second of all, the only reason we're concerned is because we are your _friends_, Ginny." Phoenix gestured her hand towards the haphazardly stacked files on the desk. "If you surfaced from your work once in a while, you would know this!" she snapped.

Ginny leaned forward, matching Phoenix's battle stance. "You, of all people, should know how important this case is for me!" Ginny retorted. "I have to make sacrifices for this investigation!" Again, she slammed her fist on the desk, which caused the stack of files to shift and tumble to the floor.

The fierce gleam in Phoenix's eyes sobered. "I know that, Ginny, I just don't want you to forget to _live_." She threw herself into the chair and ran both hands through her short brown hair. "Listen, I'm sorry I snapped at you. It's just the missions are leaving me fatigued, and then this shit starts up again..." she trailed off.

Ginny's anger retreated. "I know, Phoenix, and I'm sorry, too. I'm just--"

"Overworked… stressed too much?"

"Of course, all the time." Ginny smiled wistfully. Phoenix broke the tension when she started cackling in her distinctive laugh.

"I guess we're both a little tense," Ginny laughed and patted Phoenix's hand, "That's why we make a good team. Who else would allow me to blow off some steam and not take it personally?"

"Keep telling yourself that, Pyro," Phoenix chuckled. "The only reason I don't take offence is because, half the time, I provoked it and you know as well as I do that no one of sound mind will stay around for one of i your /i tirades."

Ginny's red eyebrows arched. "Oh, really? If I remember correctly, _your_ tirades easily surpass my own; why, I remember the time--"

Phoenix threw up a hand. "Please, let's not go there today, Gin."

Ginny snickered at Phoenix's evasion of her own past.

"Hey, I have an idea; if this mission goes well, I should be back in the area sometime next week." A sly grin crept across Phoenix's lips. "Let's go and release some steam, like old times,"

"It has been a while since we had one of our outings." Ginny smiled; there was no telling what an evening could hold when it involved them. The idea of experiencing a night of debauchery like old times was very tempting. Ginny hastily wrote a note, which left the office through the open door hatch. "Hermione," she had said.

Phoenix grinned. "And if I know Hermione, she needs a night out just as much as you do."

"Besides that, she would hex us if we didn't include her."

"I have a good idea of where we could go. We have connections, of course." Phoenix grinned deviously.

"Of course," Ginny giggled.

"You could invite your brothers and friends too; the more the merrier. Do you think they are up for it?"

"Maybe," Ginny shrugged. "I know they couldn't handle how we use to be, Fred and George maybe, but not Ron. They still all view me as 'Ickle Ginniekins'." She rolled her eyes.

"Ickle Ginniekins?" Phoenix broke into a loud fit of cackles. "Oh, that's classic." She wiped away the stream of tears rolling down her laughing face.

Ginny giggled at her hysterical friend. "So, what have you got planned for tonight? What are you doing before you leave?" she asked.

Phoenix's laughter slowed down enough for her to talk. "Nothing… I hadn't planned on anything. Rapture is at the Citadel and I assumed I'd go back there to kill time, before we move out. Why?"

_Perfect_ Ginny clapped her hands together. "I know a good way to kill time and soothe your nerves." A huge grin spread across her lips.

"What? And why do you look like the cat that caught the canary?" Phoenix commented.

"You can cook me, I mean _us _dinner."

"What do you _mean_ by 'cook'?" Phoenix asked warily.

"Well, I haven't had anything besides my mum's cooking since I arrived," Ginny hinted.

"And what exactly are you asking me to cook, Pyro?"

"Oh, just some chicken and sausage jambalaya, fried catfish, okra, and tomatoes, maybe some black eyed peas, sweet potatoes, a few oyster shooters, and maybe some praline bread pudding. Oh, and a pan of cornbread… but that's all," Ginny rambled as she smiled sweetly.

The multi-hued eyes of Phoenix widened at Ginny's request. "That's **all**?" Phoenix repeated. "Gin, that's enough food for at least eight people!" She crossed her arms smugly. "Besides even if I do cook this feast, where will I get the ingredients? I highly doubt the grocers around here keep what I need in stock."

Ginny waved her hand to dismiss Phoenix. "That's the least of your concerns. I'll take care of it. So, when is dinner?"

"Damn it," she playfully huffed.

Ginny grinned. Even though she knew her friend would complain, cooking always helped ease Phoenix's nerves before missions. "Well, I guess since it is agreed that I'm cooking tonight," Phoenix rose and walked towards the door, resting her hand on the knob, "I should actually attend to the business I have here. Can I meet you at your house around seven?"

"Okay, that's good; I'll have all the ingredients by then," Ginny replied. Phoenix nodded her head and strode out the office door. Ginny couldn't help but smile. For once, she looked forward to going home.

* * *

Harry's shoulders slumped as the large wooden door closed behind him. "It could've been worse," he mumbled as he dragged his hand through this hair, causing it to look even more dishevelled than usual. Thankfully, 'The Talk' had been with just Tonks and not Kingsley. Tonks had held a soft spot for Harry since his fifth year at Hogwarts. She hadn't exactly been lenient, but it hadn't been the arse roast Ron had predicted. If it had been Kingsley, it would have been a totally different story.

Harry shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, causing them to tense a little as he walked down the hallway. When he reached the lift, a soft conversation floated past his ears. He looked around for the source of it, and his eyes landed on the office at the opposite end of the hallway. _Ginny's… I wonder if she is in there._ Before his mind could comprehend what he was about to do, he was standing in front of the closed door with his hand outstretched, ready to knock.

The faint murmurs he had heard were more distinct, now; when curiosity got the best of him, he flicked his wand to open the door hatch above her office a smidge more. He heard Ginny's voice rise to a loud, ear-splitting pitch before a loud bang brought silence. Instinctively, Harry pointed his wand at the door ready to intervene, but the sound of the second voice stopped him. He couldn't distinguish it. It wasn't the baritone of a man's voice, but it was low and raspy, almost feminine in certain aspects. They spoke so low that the conversation was barely audible, until a distinctive cackle startled him.

Harry instantly pinpointed the melodious laughter that intertwined with the raucous cackling. The innocent sound of Ginny's jovial laughter stirred long denied emotions deep inside him as the memories of dark times of war darkened his thoughts. He sighed and ran his hand over the door as he recalled old memories and decided that Ginny's visitor had more important business than he did. Harry's eyes caught sight of a memo darting through the slightly open hatch and watched it disappeared around the corner.

"Harry?" Adriana walked up to him from the side. "Did you hear me call your name?" Harry looked down into her concerned brown eyes as she led Harry away from Ginny's office. "Ron told me about the meeting you were in; how did it go?" she asked.

"It was fine." Behind him, he could hear the door creak open and her voice carry down the hallway.

"Harry?" Adriana placed a hand on his chest. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just have a lot on my mind," he muttered.

"Care to share with me?"

"Not really, sorry." He smiled weakly. Adriana nodded and tightened her grip on his arm. As they walked away, the phantom nymph that Harry had driven away years ago now teased his thoughts with her bright amber eyes and fiery mane. It was all that he desired in the world, but knew he would never have.

* * *

Phoenix exited the lift and strode with a purpose towards a back row of offices. She was intent to tend to the business that required her to be at the Ministry that day. She turned the corner and noticed the lone figure that stood in the hallway; the person only a few feet away did not acknowledge her presence; with suspicion as her guide, she swiftly ducked into a one of the many darkened alcoves of the dim hallway. Phoenix pushed her glasses firmly on her nose and focused on the figure.

The mop of raven locks was a dead give away of his identity. She bit back a chuckle and watched as Harry spoke to someone hidden in a doorway. The conversation held was hushed and undistinguishable. Phoenix was about to leave her hiding place, with the assumption that her instincts had been wrong. But when the second person came into view, Phoenix stopped dead in her tracks as an icy chill washed over her.

She had seen this woman before; she couldn't place her face, but there was something about her that did not sit well with the American witch. Phoenix continued to spy as the woman laced her arms around Harry's shoulders and started to nuzzle his neck. Harry's body stiffened slightly but it didn't deter the woman's affections. The woman leaned towards his ear and whispered. Harry grinned sheepishly and lowered his head to kiss her.

Phoenix's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits; an instinct she hadn't felt in two years screamed at her. "I need to get back to the Citadel," she hissed and pulled out her wand and Disapparated from the Ministry.

* * *

Ginny barrelled down the stairs to the blare of her doorbell. Her bare feet skidded across the floor and nearly caused her to crash into the door. "Oi, why didn't you answer the door!"

"Because," Phoenix yelled from the kitchen, "It's not my house and I don't know what type of wards you have up. Plus, I'm in the middle of cooking. Who the hell am I, Jeeves?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and adjusted the hastily wrapped bath towel that clung to her body. "I'll show you 'Jeeves'," she muttered darkly and then removed several locking charms and opened the door slightly to peer at her visitor.

"Hey, Ginny, it's me. You can open the door now."

Ginny began to close the door but paused. "Wait, how do I know it's you?" she asked.

"Oh, honestly," she huffed. "It's me, Hermione."

"Tell me something only you would know."

Hermione cocked one hip out and tilted her head. "All right, when you get pissed, you fancy playing connect the dots with the freckles on your legs," she revealed.

Ginny's face flushed on the other side of the door. "You promised you would never tell anyone!"

"I had, but you asked for it," Hermione replied with a grin.

Ginny flicked her wand at the closed door and opened it to allow Hermione in.

"Is that a new ward?"

"Yeah, only works if the visitor knows something about me and I acknowledge it."

"Did I develop that?" Hermione asked as she hung her robes up.

"Probably." Ginny shrugged as she reapplied the security spells and wards. She readjusted the slipping towel. "Zeddie's in there." She pointed to the kitchen and then turned and dashed back up the stairs. "I'll just be a minute," she yelled over her shoulder.

Hermione stood in the small foyer and quietly studied her surroundings. She had only visited the house once, after Ginny announced that she was moving back to England. Hermione was idly tracing her finger along the intricate cedar carvings on the wall when a familiar aroma wafted under her nose that pulled her towards the kitchen. Hermione stepped into the kitchen and barely missed being cleaved in two when a knife zipped by.

"Oh, shit!" Phoenix dropped the tomato she had been cutting. "I'm sorry; I wouldn't have summoned the knife if I knew you were coming in. Did I nick you?"

"Almost."

Phoenix smiled apologetically. "I didn't expect to see you here, Fox." She turned away to add a piece of breaded fish to the hot oil.

"Neither did I," a dressed Ginny said as she leaned against the doorframe. "What brings you to my humble abode?"

"Ron has been assigned to patrol Hogsmeade tonight. I didn't want to stay in the flat alone, so, I thought I'd stop by and see if Phoenix was here."

"Night watch?" Ginny turned to Hermione. "I didn't know that was still in affect; how did he manage to be given that assignment?"

"Night watch isn't how it used to be; they more or less use the shift to give the rookies experience and service hours. It's a tame assignment compared to how it was during the war." Hermione sat down at the table. "But he was assigned by circumstance. Apparently Harry performed poorly in this morning's tactical exercises and is being reprimanded with night watch. Ron, being his partner, got shafted, too."

"Shafted?" Ginny laughed. "Since when have you started using words like that?"

"I think we're beginning to corrupt the girl," Phoenix chimed in from over her shoulder.

There was a slight pause before Ginny and Phoenix broke out into laughter. Hermione looked back and forth between the two witches. "What? It's not like I haven't talked like that before!"

"Hermione, that was in the States; this is here. I don't think my brother would appreciate two rogue women corrupting you," Ginny laughed. "You'll always be his sweet, innocent 'Mione!" Ginny doubled over in laughter at her own joke while Phoenix started to choke from laughter at the sink.

"Innocent?" Phoenix chortled. "Pyro, remember that one time--"

"Oh, shut it, both of you!" Hermione huffed and then softly giggled.

Both Ginny and Phoenix continued to laugh while Phoenix shook her head and finished mixing the corn bread batter. Ginny opened the refrigerator, pulled out two butterbeers, and handed one to Hermione.

Ginny settled down next to her at the small table and proceeded to watch Phoenix whirl around the kitchen. "You know you would think I'd be a pro in the kitchen with having a mother like mine," Ginny said as she sipped from the bottle "Technically, I should be able to whip up anything like that!" She snapped her fingers.

"You probably have more skill than I do; I still have a tendency to burn things," Hermione replied, finishing her butterbeer.

Phoenix stopped what she was doing. "Ladies, I hate to tell you this but, Hermione, the only reason you burn dinner is because you don't pay attention," Phoenix pointed out. "I've seen you cook, Hermione. You'll start it, get distracted, and then forget about what you were doing."

Ginny nearly choked on her mouth full of butterbeer and started to laugh at the scowl that had formed on Hermione's face as a result of Phoenix's remark.

"And you, Pyro," Ginny stopped mid-laugh while Hermione smirked. "You seem to be the only witch I know who can burn a pot of water and ruin one of my good cauldrons!"

Hermione doubled over in laughter after she caught the three-shaded blush that had descended upon Ginny's face. Phoenix turned away from the stove and greeted both women with a grin, "Dinner is ready."

* * *

"Now I remember exactly why I dislike night watch," Harry muttered and then kicked a rock as he strolled down the main avenue of Hogsmeade.

Ron nodded. "Yeah, but at least were not duelling Death Eaters every five minutes." Ron looked up at a darkened Honeydukes. "I like how things are quiet, now. Feels like I'm doing my job."

Harry sighed; he appreciated that things had settled down, finally. After having fought in a war for so long, peacetime was both a gift and a curse. Harry couldn't shake the feeling that something was brewing, just waiting to strike. "How many more hours?"

"A lot, so quit asking."

Both men trudged towards the road that led to Hogwarts. When they reached the crest, they stopped and looked fondly at the majestic castle. "When was the last time you visited?" Ron asked.

"It's been years," Harry answered. The grounds still held too many painful memories for Harry to venture there willingly. "What about you?"

"Only a couple of months ago," Ron answered. "Hermione asked me to pick up a bag of mooncalf dung from Neville."

"How is Neville?" Harry asked as he leaned against a tree.

"He's good, been doing real well since he took over Herbology after Professor Sprout retired." Ron pushed off from the tree he had leaned against. "I think he and Luna are expecting."

Harry eyes brightened at the news, yet he felt a distant twinge. After the war, their friendship had suffered, and now Neville barely spoke to him. He forced a smile. "Really? That's fantastic; did you hear this from Neville?"

"Er, no," Ron muttered; his ears went pink.

Harry narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Then who?"

"Lavender."

"Lavender Brown-Finnigan?" Harry started to laugh. "You ran into Lavender? How did that go, Won-Won?"

Ron scowled. "Fine."

Harry continued to laugh at Ron's expense. He hadn't thought about the Won-Won and Lavender fiasco since sixth year. He wiped the tears away as he remembered the whole hormonal ordeal and the never-ending snogging sessions. Harry continued to chuckle until the phantom began to tease him with the memory of the last Quidditch match of that same year. His laughter slowly died with the faded image of her eyes as they twinkled with amber lights.

A slow smile teased at his lips as he stared off into space and remembered the joy he felt when Ginny had barrelled into his life and heart that day. Harry glanced up to see Ron staring at him. "Come on; let's walk the outskirts of town and stop by the Three Broomsticks for a cold butterbeer," Harry suggested. Ron agreed as they both turned to head back towards the heart of Hogsmeade.

They quickly reached the fence that bordered the Shrieking Shack and were in the middle of a lively discussion on the upcoming Quidditch match. "There is no way Puddlemere can beat the Cannons next week!" Ron argued. "Wood barely saved those goals when they played Portree last week."

"Ron, I don't know which match you were listening to, but Oliver is having his best season yet. Unless the Cannons' new Chasers step up, they'll have to rely on Hawthorne to catch the Snitch early!" Harry rebutted.

"But Harry, how can you say that! Chudley is having their best season yet! They haven't played this well since--"

Harry came to an abrupt halt and looked at the desolate path behind him. Ron stopped and turned to look back. "What is it?" he asked.

Harry glanced over his shoulder at Ron. "I thought I heard something," he muttered.

"_Lumos_." Ron took a few steps further down the path, away from Harry, and began to sweep the area. "What did you hear?" he whispered.

"It was a rustling," Harry replied as he searched the area with his eyes. They stood in silence and listened to the unsuspicious night sounds around them. "_Nox_," Harry muttered. "The day must be getting to me." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Yeah." Ron extinguished his wand, which had blanketed them in a dim light. "Let's go get that butterbeer you mentioned earlier."

Harry took two steps and heard a branch snapped behind him. He whirled around and yelled, "_Stupefy!_"

Except he didn't hear the sound of a stunned body falling; instead, a low groan answered him. "_Lumos!_" Off to the side of the path, a bare foot stuck out a few metres away from where he had stood only minutes before.

"Ron, we need help!"

Ron shot several red flares from his wand into the air, summoning all nearby Auror teams to Apparate to their location. Harry could hear Ron barking out orders to the steady stream of Apparating Aurors in the background as he approached the site. Harry had witnessed many terrible things during the war and his years as an Auror, but the scene in front of him brought a tidal wave of nausea that made him feel ill for the first time in years.

He kneeled next to the mangled form and reached out to remove a branch that obscured his view. Just as he wrapped his hand around the branch, a hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. Harry screamed and desperately tried to break the grasp of the wide-eyed, ragged-breathed body in front of him. "They're alive!" he yelled. "We need an emergency team here, now!" The commotion of Aurors' feet running towards him fell on deaf ears. Harry could only hear the horrible, anguished screams of the battered witch lacerating his mind.

* * *

The three witches that sat around the table could all be described with one word: satisfied. Hermione sat back in her chair and patted her full stomach. Ginny had slowly begun to slide down the chair, her eyes shut, at peace. Next to her, Phoenix sat with her head resting in the crook of her arm with a contemplative expression. Phoenix's gently kicked the dozing Hermione and nodded her head towards Ginny.

"Hey, Ginny." Phoenix gently shook her arm until Ginny groggily opened her eyes. "Do you by chance have the pictures from Trinidad?"

"The Soucouyant mission?" Ginny mumbled as she stared bleary eyed at Phoenix.

"Yes, I've been looking for them; I need them to close the file."

Ginny stood up with difficulty and left the other two women at the table. Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but Phoenix held her hand up. When the sound of soft creaks from the floorboards above answered them, Phoenix dropped her hand and then beckoned for Hermione to speak.

"Soucouyant?" Hermione whispered. "Was that one of your diversions?"

"Yeah." Phoenix glanced up at the ceiling. "Ginny's been drinking her special butterbeer all evening. I know she has drunk enough to do almost anything." Phoenix looked away. "But that's not the point; I haven't talked to her about _it_, Hermione."

Hermione eyebrows shot up and nearly disappeared into her hairline. "What? I thought we agreed it would be best if she knew or at least had some warning!"

"I couldn't do it."

"But why?"

"Because, Hermione, after she told me about the Godric case, I felt she didn't need to know about some crazy vision I had."

"How can you say that, Phoenix? What if your vision means something? It could be the key we need."

"It could have also meant nothing, Hermione." Phoenix wrung her hands. "Hell, I'm not even sure if the vision was real; it could've been some bad mushrooms I ate as far as I know. Besides, I thought you didn't believe in the art of Divination?"

Hermione sighed. "That's beside the point. Have you told anyone else?"

"No, no one knows but you and me." Phoenix hesitated before she spoke again, "Besides, I saw something today that bothered me."

Before Hermione could question her further, they heard the light shuffle of Ginny's feet on the stairs. "Look, Fox, I just want to be sure about this, and I need help doing the research before I tell anyone else. Will you help?" Phoenix pleaded.

"Okay, I'll help," Phoenix gave a grateful smile, "but I still think you should tell her," Hermione added.

Ginny entered the kitchen and put an end to the conversation. "Nick, exactly what pictures are you talking about?" she asked sleepily.

"Never mind, I thought you might have them."

Ginny shook her head. "Sorry."

Phoenix pushed back from the table. "Aw, well, screw it. I'll file it without them." She picked up her leather jacket from the back of the chair. "Well, ladies, it's been real, but I must return to the Citadel and get some sleep." Phoenix placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder. "Are you going to be all right tonight, Pyro?"

Ginny nodded her head sleepily and yawned. The dinner and alcohol had begun to have their sedative effect.

Hermione rose from her seat and followed Phoenix. "I'm going to leave too, Ginny. I need to beat Ron home. Stop by my office at work tomorrow?"

"Sure." Ginny led her guests to the front door and watched Hermione Disapparate on the front lawn and Phoenix ride down the street on her motorcycle. Ginny inadvertently rubbed her full stomach and let loose a long yawn. After she closed her mouth, she disappeared into the house and soon afterward fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

A/N: Sorry about the delay in updating but I'm very detailed and meticulous when I write so you have to excuse me for that. Thanks to all those that reviewed I greatly appreciate and all those that are still reading. I know my updates aren't the fastest but I hope they are at least worth it. Special thanks to Phoenixlls and ChaoticK for their beta skills and reigning in my overzealous comma use.

Title of this chapter was inspired by the Beatles song after a comment Laura made about this chapter. Hopefully more chapters are on the way after they are edited again for grammar mistakes.

Please Read and Review because I truly do appreciate it and I DO answer them.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter and up next: more mystery shrouds exactly what the Godric Investigation is **really **about.


	4. Chapter 4: The Magus

Edgedancer of Madness

By Enygma 1920

**Chapter 4: The Magus**

* * *

The heaviness of the grey morning filled the bedroom where Harry stirred fitfully in his sleep. He tossed back and forth several times before his arm caught the edge of his bedside table, jarring him into consciousness. He was used to sleep evading him, but last night, his temperamental unrest was a direct result of Hogsmeade. He glanced at the bedside clock only to see the blurred blue numbers of _six-fifty-five_ and decided that sleep just wasn't in the cards as he kicked the covers off. He stumbled across his room in a drowsy stupor, only to trip across a boot he had left in the middle of the floor.

"Damn it," he swore as he pushed off the dresser that had broken his fall. He continued to grumble and mutter as he dressed and packed his rucksack for the day. He glanced over at the unmoving form in his bed. After Ron and he had transported the beaten woman to St. Mungo's and they had given their report, he had been more than grateful when Kingsley had dismissed them. But Ron's boisterous voice carried his opinions about Harry's temper tantrum to the sensitive ears of the Head Auror. Kingsley didn't have to say anything aloud; his stern expression indicated that there would be one more 'meeting' to add on to Harry's ever-growing list. Harry had stood up, dressed, and reached for his wand to place it in his holster when the creaking of the bed stopped him.

"Where are you off to?" Adriana yawned and smiled sleepily at Harry.

Harry walked back over to the bed and sat down. "Training," he whispered and brushed away a stray lock from her forehead.

She propped herself up on her elbow and stared at him. "Did you sleep?"

"Of course," he lied as he leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I'll stop by your office later." He stood up from the bed and walked towards the door. He habitually glanced back to see that she had already curled back into her original position. He slung the rucksack over his shoulder and closed the door before Apparating to the training pitch.

"Bring it in," Kingsley barked over the field. Ron pulled Harry up to his feet as the surrounding Aurors jogged towards the centre. Harry could barely make out what Kingsley was yelling at them for, this time; he was half tempted to sit down from the chronic ache of his back. But, refusing to give another reason to be reprimanded that day, Harry shifted from foot to foot to ease some of the pain.

"--I am impressed with some of the progress a few of you have shown, but the rest of you..." Kingsley began to pace in front of the gathered group. "I don't know how I can reiterate how important it is that you are physically able to disarm a wizard. These new wizards we're tracking are _not_ like the old Death Eaters who would just throw a curse and run." He stopped to inspect the group. "These new wizards have no qualms using Muggle force or technology to get what they want. I've heard the grumbling about how intense these last few weeks have been--"

"You'd think we were at war again, the way he's talking," a short Auror mumbled.

"--In the past, we've lost some of the best damn Aurors in the country due to them relying solely upon their wands. I don't intend to lose any more." Kingsley's steely stare grazed over the crowd before he turned toward Tonks and the other Aurors. "Gryphon."

A massive wizard nodded and walked towards the place that Kingsley had just vacated. To say the wizard in front of them was intimidating would have been a serious understatement. From the cold glint of his black eyes to the wild ebony mane that fell to his shoulders and the permanent look of suspicion on his face, he was the prototype of an Auror menace. He held the group with a grim expression before his eyes landed on Ron.

"Weasley!"

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered as he made his way to the front. Gryphon slapped him hard on his shoulder. Even though Ron was a good four inches taller than Gryphon, the rough slapped still caused him to stumble slightly.

"I'm going to teach you a wand-less manoeuvre to disarm a wizard. Weasley, stand in front of me in duelling stance," he ordered. Ron assumed the correct position and waited. "Now, you want to grab their wand arm and spin, pushing your bum into their stomach." There was a scattering of light snickers but they ceased with one glance. "You'll want to bend your knees. Your legs are stronger than you think. Now, keeping your grip on his hands, bend your knees and PULL!"

_THUD!_

Ron lay, sprawled on his back, at the feet of Gryphon. "Now, you have the advantage. They are incapacitated and you have their wand within reach. Stun them, hex them – just incapacitate them." In one fluid motion, he yanked Ron to his feet. "Nice work, Weasley." Ron nodded as he brushed bits of grass off of himself and walked back to Harry.

"How was it?"

Ron winced. "Brilliant."

Harry bit back the snicker that fought to escape, knowing Ron--who had just laughed earlier when Gryphon had used Harry for a rather nasty grappling technique--was feeling similar pain. They all were in pain from being slammed, pummelled, punched, and manhandled for the past several weeks. It had become a running joke that they would have to relocate the Auror Department to St. Mungo's if they continued at such an intense pace.

"Pair up within your classes. Novice's and A-1's can pair up, but I don't want to see any of you A-7's or A-8's pairing up with them," Gryphon ordered. "This will be the last technique we will work on today, so make it good."

The muttering group dispersed into their respective pairs. Ron made a beeline to the furthest and shadiest side of the pitch. The Auror trainers had made a decision earlier in the year to relocate the sessions to an old Quidditch pitch for undisclosed reasons. The resulting mutterings in the locker rooms had ranged from the utterly ridiculous to the clear and rational. But to Harry, the pitch was a welcome difference from the cramped gym--even if the cushioning charms weren't very effective.

"You want me to go first?"

Harry took two steps away from Ron. "Yeah, just don't slam me into the ground."

"Headache?" Ron asked before he sent Harry jarring into the ground.

"Yeah," Harry strained. "It's been bothering me since last night."

"Have you told anyone?"

"No," Harry muttered and then pushed himself from the ground. "Ready?"

Ron nodded. Harry grappled with Ron's long arms and just barely managed to flip him over.

"Potter!"

Harry wiped the beads of sweat from his brow to see Gryphon storming towards them. "You have to use your legs!" He swatted at Harry's thigh. "I used to be your size when I first started. Have you been sticking to the regimen?"

"Yes, sir, I have."

"Good." He rested his hand on Harry's shoulder and lowered his head. "I know you're better than this, Potter. You may be slim, but you're one of our faster Aurors. Use that speed to your advantage." He slapped a massive hand on Harry's chest as he lumbered off, shouting orders at another set of Aurors

"He was your size?" Ron looked back and forth between Harry and Gryphon. "Damn, maybe there _is_ hope for you."

Catching the wizard off guard, Harry snatched Ron's hand and threw him to the ground.

Ron laughed from the ground at his partner's smug expression. "All right, let's see you do that again."

Harry and Ron continued to push each other in the exercises. While Ron quickly mastered the skills taught, Harry's inconsistencies were beginning to irritate him. He wanted to place the blame on his splitting headache, but he knew that the witch grappling at the opposite end of the pitch was a contributing factor to his distraction. It was to the point that no matter how hard he tried to ignore and push her from his thoughts, she still haunted him. _Damn it, I just need to get over it._ Harry used Ron's massive form to block the view of that end of the pitch and continued to practice. After twenty minutes of Gryphon's acerbic demands, the blazing weather and the forceful exercises were just the right ingredients to turn a benign training session into a scene of pure pandemonium. Gryphon's booming voice cut though the raucous cacophony.

It took several attempts to quiet the group, but when the sweaty masses finally gathered, they were greeted with a rare sight: A pleased Gryphon. "Not bad, not bad. It took a few rough attempts, but it appears you all have a hand on it. Before we end for the day, we're going to have one last demonstration." A dark glint flashed in his eyes as he roved the crowd. "Carmichael! Front and centre!"

A blond wizard not much bigger than Harry sauntered forward. Harry didn't personally care for Carmichael; he was an arrogant braggart. The one assignment Harry worked with him had almost landed him in the Janus Thickey Ward at St. Mungo's. Although Carmichael did apologize for being overzealous, Harry didn't easily forget the A-7's recklessness.

"Git." Apparently neither had Ron.

"Weasley! Now!" Gryphon yelled.

Ron lips turned into a devious grin. "My pleasure," he hinted to Harry and began to rub his hands as he pushed through the crowd.

"No not _you_, Weasley, the _other_ Weasley"

"Ginny?" Ron's face paled as Ginny stepped beside him to join Gryphon.

"Now, at first glance, it is easy to assume that Ms. Weasley here is at a disadvantage--"

"They didn't live with her," Ron muttered.

"First one to disarm ends it." Gryphon stepped back and dropped his hand. "Go!"

A jet of red light shot out of Carmichael's wand that Ginny easily deflected with a Shield Charm.

"Think she'll Bat-Bogey Hex?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," Harry answered, his eyes tracking Ginny's progress.

"_Serpensortia!_" A massive python flew towards Ginny's neck.

Ron hand smashed onto Harry's mouth. "Look!"

Ginny incinerated the python as she spun out of the way. She fired a Blasting Hex followed by Bluebell Flames that threw back and scorched Carmichael.

Harry was impressed at the speed with which Ginny was casting and still able to block or barely get out of harm's way.

"_Stupefy!_" Ginny eyes widened as the spell nicked her in the chest. Carmichael pumped his fist in the air as he strode over to her limp form. "Good show, but I'm undefeated," he proclaimed to the chorus of agreeing accolades. He kneeled over Ginny, but was too busy bragging to notice the slight reflexive twitch of her foot. Harry nudged Ron and gestured towards her foot. Ginny caught the unsuspecting Carmichael with a swift kick in the back that sent him tumbling forward. When he finally realized what had happened, Ginny stood above him with his wand at his neck, grinning.

"Bravo!" Gryphon yelled as he, Kingsley, and Tonks walked over. "Bravo! That was a perfect example of size having nothing to do with power!" Gryphon's large hand pulled Ginny to her feet and clapped her hard on the back. "Nice work, Weasley!"

"Exceptional work, Ms. Weasley," Kingsley added while Tonks playfully punched her in the arm.

"End of session. Let's head back to the Ministry!" Kingsley's voiced echoed over the pitch.

"Where, in the name of Merlin, did she learn that, d'you reckon?" Ron asked as they fell behind the talkative group. "I don't remember her pulling that before."

"Don't know; seems another one of your sister's secrets has revealed itself." He eyed Tonks talking animatedly with Ginny, before they Disapparated.

The sharp gust from the slammed door disturbed the few wayward strands of Ron's hair in its wake. He stood there for a moment, silently debating whether to break down the door, or take the mature route and leave. The squeak of his boots retreating as he huffed towards the lift was an indication of his decision. He jabbed the button repeatedly before he could change his mind. What had started off as a nice, quiet, customary lunch date with his fiancée had turned into a screaming row over their cooling lunch. Ron and Hermione's rows had become legendary over the course of that year, and for the first time since his inaugural row with the bushy haired witch; he had to admit that he was at fault. It hadn't been Ron's curtness or snide remarks about the bridesmaids' dresses that had sent Hermione off into a tyrannical rage. Ron's foul mood was directly correlated to the guilty culprit who was sitting in their office.

Harry was Ron's best mate, partner, and godfather to his children, if he ever had any, but as fortified as Ron's loyalty to Harry was, it only took a stern threat of sleeping on the sofa to go against the grain and have a word with Harry.

Ron stepped into the lift. It had been one of those weeks; the difficult training on Monday was only a precursor for the atrocious week that ensued. With just one step into the department, the tangibly tense atmosphere was enough to have a negative affect on anyone who entered. In Harry's case, his altered performance and behaviour had made him unbearable to be around. At that morning's cataclysmic duelling session, the surmounting tension had caused an outbreak of fisticuffs across the pitch. When the dust settled, several Aurors had to be port keyed to St. Mungo's, and as ill fate would have it, Harry's partner was in the worst shape. Ron had been on his way out when Harry had returned from his daily meeting with Tonks about his irregularities, except this time, Ron suspected that Kingsley had been involved, because of the dark mood his partner had returned in.

Ron stood outside the door, trying to figure what to do about Harry. Normally, when Harry got like this, he would end up brooding for days, which would isolate him from everyone while ruining his work performance, bringing him back to square one of the detrimental vicious cycle. That was the last thing Harry needed, right now. The initial thought of _Ginny_ came to mind, but Ron quickly dismissed that. Harry was noticeably more aggravated when her name was mentioned, and as much as he loved his sister, he knew that there was something going on between the two that he would rather remain ignorant to. _I'll leave that to Hermione. _Ron pushed open the door to see Harry surrounded by stacks of files.

"Hey."

Harry didn't bother to look up and just grunted in response.

_Brilliant. _Ron picked up a random file and began to thumb through it. The two sat in silence, disturbed only by the sound of rustling parchment. He chewed on his quill when it started.

_Tap-tap-tap_

He didn't bother to look up, but knew it was inevitable. When his mate was extremely irritated, he would unconsciously fidget. Ron readjusted himself in his seat and ignored it, in the hope that his selective hearing would block it. It didn't. Soon the sound of Harry's incessant foot tapping grated on Ron's already short nerves.

_Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap_

Ron threw the papers down. "Mate!"

"What?"

"You're driving me mental!" Ron shouted. He couldn't take it anymore. If Harry was going to be this moody when working on that damn investigation with Ginny—_That's it!_ "Come on," he said as he stood up.

"What? Where?"

"Archives. I need your help."

Harry stopped in mid-motion. "Archives? For the Sexton investigation?"

"No, I just thought of something." Ron paused with his hand on the doorknob and grinned. "And if I know you, your curiosity will outweigh how much you despise going down there." There was no better way to break Harry's rut than with distraction.

Harry appeared to inwardly debate before he tossed the file he had been holding on his desk. "Fine, I'll go."

Harry stepped in next to Ron as the lift rattled down to the archives. "Are you going to tell me what this is about?"

"Maybe." Ron grinned.

"Ron--"

"All right, fine! You're getting as bad as Hermione, mate, and that isn't a good thing."

Harry ignored him and moved aside to allow space for several witches and wizards entering from the Goblin Liaison Office. "Fine, what is this about?"

"Monday, I stopped by Tonks's office to drop off the Schneider case. You know, the one that goes in front of the Wizengamot next month."

Harry nodded.

"Well, the door was locked and I was about to leave the file on her secretary's desk when I overheard her speaking to someone and--"

"You eavesdropped?" Harry said a little too loudly. He threw a smile at the witch giving him and Ron odd looks. "You eavesdropped on Tonks?" he hissed more quietly.

"Well, it's not like you haven't done worse, or do I need to remind you? Besides, I heard our names."

"Us? But--" Harry stopped until the last wizard stepped off the lift into the atrium. Harry turned to Ron and spoke, "What do you mean us?"

"Well, I didn't hear exactly what was being said, but our names came up, along with the names of some very high profile investigations."

"Ron, there's nothing wrong with that; we've worked on plenty of those in the past two years."

"I'm aware of that, but they mentioned Makuxi and Rio."

Harry's brow furrowed. "We worked in contingency with several international Auror departments on the Rio project, but why Makuxi?"

"That's what I was thinking. We were just finishing our first year of training when the Makuxi incident occurred, and the Rio investigation was an Intel assignment that yielded nothing."

"You're right." Harry rubbed the stubble on his chin. "Ron, do you think it's possible we actually did find intelligence information?"

Ron began to pace the compact area. "I've considered that. But I--we need to find any information on those investigations, along with another name mentioned."

The doors of the lift opened to darken hallway, and they both stepped out. "And who would that be?"

Ron stared at Harry before he stepped down onto the stairs. "Zeddemore."

They walked past the Department of Mysteries and headed down the stairs to level ten. Instead of turning toward the courtrooms, they stopped in front of a door with a shiny brass plate that read 'Archives'. Ron pushed open the door to reveal a dim, torch lit room with endless rows of shelves, heavily lined with leather bound manuscripts. Harry followed Ron as they walked down the single aisle between the stacks when a small, unoccupied desk came into view. Ron had turned around to glance up and down the rows of stacks when Harry had noticed a small dust covered sign, sitting on the desk. He jabbed Ron in his side and directed his attention to the 'Ring Bell for Service' instruction.

"I think you're supposed to ring it," Harry said in a sarcastic undertone. Ron shrugged and promptly slammed his hand down on the bell, which elicited a high-pitched ring that reverberated throughout the room.

Within a few seconds, the sound of shuffling feet announced the presence of a severely hunched, ancient wizard who was carrying a large stack of books. He banged them on the desk, which brought forth a billowing cloud of dust. He eyed them both suspiciously from under a pair of grey bushy eyebrows.

"You rang?" he asked in a wheezing yet stern voice.

"Yes, I'm looking for specific information involving a co-investigation between the British Ministry and the United States Government," Ron said.

The grey tufts arched upward. "Interesting, well you've come to the right place, young man. Our records date back to 2000 B.C. and are international, now." He hefted his wiry frame up onto the high stool behind the desk. "What is the name of this investigation?"

"Makuxi: June 2002."

"Makuxi, eh?" He pulled out an immense tome of a book and began flipping through it. "Ah!" He hopped off the chair and disappeared into an adjacent stack, to later return with a thick file, handing it over to Ron.

Harry peered over Ron's shoulder as he flipped through the manuscript. The file contained nothing more than public information about the investigation. "Do you have any information about the lead investigator involved in this?"

"How about Rio Intel Operation: August 2004," Harry added.

The ancient wizard's bushy eyebrows furrowed together, forming a furry valley across his forehead. "Let me check with my assistant, Carver." He turned his head and barked out his assistant's name and a much younger wizard appeared from out of the stacks.

"Yes, sir?"

"These young Aurors are looking for information on the Makuxi's lead investigator and Rio Intel. Do you know where to find this?"

The young man's eyes roved over Ron and lingered on Harry before he stepped back into the stacks.

"Nice to have young blood around here; it's a bit tiring running around these stacks when you're my age." The old wizard smiled.

"Have you ever considered condensing the stacks into a searchable computer database? I know other ministries have begun to do so," Harry commented.

The old man looked at Harry with a blasphemed expression and began to mutter under his breath something along the lines of 'young people' and 'Muggle technology'. When Carver returned with a small stack of files in his hand, he dropped the files onto the desk before splitting the stack in half between Harry and Ron.

"Is this it?" Ron asked.

"I'm afraid so; there is little public information available on the lead investigator, Zeddemore. However, I was able to find information on an Auror named Xavier Nunez, who worked several investigations with Zeddemore. But even that information is limited." He handed over a small folder. "I'm not sure how much is in there, but it appears the information you're trying to locate is under restricted access. But," Carver glanced over his shoulder and beckoned them to step closer, "I assisted in the update of the Spanish Ministry Archives a few years back and I stumbled across a few misplaced files. Those files were under a strong spell but I did notice the name Zeddemore on a few of them."

Harry and Ron glanced at each other. "And?" they asked.

Carver eyes darted over to the old wizard writing at his desk. "You didn't hear this from me, but Zeddemore use to work for the American Auror Department and is very difficult to obtain information on. I'd call in a favour if you want real information." He nodded at Ron. He immediately stepped back and smiled brightly. "Right, well, I hope those files help," he said loudly.

Harry gave Carver a quizzical look, but when he turned to ask Ron about it, he was no longer standing next to him but was halfway to the exit.

"Well, thanks again for your help," Harry said, stepping forward and shaking Carver's hand.

"Anytime." Carver shook Harry's hand vigorously and then returned to his abandoned heap of books, disappearing once again into the stacks. Harry turned to thank the old wizard but he, too, was gone. Harry jogged to catch Ron at the lift. When they arrived back at the office, Ron quietly settled behind his desk and began to shuffle through random parchments.

"Ron?"

Ron looked up, his blank expression giving no insight to his odd behaviour. "Yeah?"

Harry narrowed his eyes. "You haven't said a word since we left the archives. and then you come in here and start organizing your desk?" Harry moved in closer. "Something that Carver has said has got under your skin."

Ron sighed, rubbing his face. "I-I just can't get out of my mind--what Ginny said."

"What did she say?"

"Well," he swallowed, "it's just, we know she worked on Zeddemore's team, and it seems information about any of those on the team and the investigations are restricted."

"Yeah, but any information about us is classified, too. That's for any Auror at our level."

Ron shook his head. "After I left you that day, I stopped by Ginny's. She avoided all questions about the Godric case and mentioned something about there being a possible link to an old investigation she had worked on."

"But Kingsley told us that before Ginny arrived."

"You don't get it," Ron sighed. "You haven't been around...There are just too many unanswered questions about what Ginny's been doing for the past three years. I know my sister, Harry, and she is acting like nothing is wrong, when I know there is."

Harry had leaned further back in his chair, absorbing what Ron had said, when it occurred to him that they knew next to nothing about the real reason behind Ginny's return. Every time either one of them would ask, she had avoided answering. Then it hit him like a kick from a hippogriff; everything that had been going on for the past few weeks made sense: the meetings, the intense training, and Ginny's behaviour. It wasn't a fluke that this was occurring; there was a reason behind it. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked, reading Ron's worried expression.

Ron slowly nodded his head. "Question is: what the hell is Ginny involved with?"

The lone scratching and muttered curses was the only sound to be heard down the vacant hallway of the Charms Development Department. The source sat behind her desk, deeply engaged in the book sprawled in front of her. She reached to turn the page when her watch reflected the sunlight that shone through her office windows. Hermione sighed and wondered if the pleasant weather shining through the magical windows was an indication of the weather outside. It was tempting to skive off for the rest of the day and go home on time, for once that week. Hermione shook the alluring thought away. "No, I can't."

"Can't what?"

"Ginny!" Hermione was startled.

Ginny pushed passed the few obstacles to find a seat in front of Hermione's desk. "You know, the first sign of being overworked is talking to yourself."

"You're one to talk," Hermione said as she marked her spot in the book.

"True, but I guess you rubbed off on me." Ginny looked around the office. "I don't remember it being this cluttered."

"You wouldn't; we are in the middle of cataloguing and updating our records of all new charms and spells. We're finally catching up."

"Finally?"

"Yeah, there were over sixty years of misfiled and undocumented spells just sitting around collecting dust!" she exclaimed.

"I see. Well, I didn't mean to interrupt you." Ginny's hand extended, holding a sealed roll of parchment. "I wanted to give this to you, personally."

Hermione tapped her wand to break the seal. Once open, she scanned the letter. "Tonight!" She grinned. "But I assumed it would be tomorrow?"

"Change in plans; you know her." She smiled. "How often does an opportunity like this occur; and tomorrow is Friday. I know for a fact, half the ministry will be skiving off by the afternoon."

The idea of skiving off presented itself for a second time that day. Normally, Hermione wouldn't even consider skiving off--like some of her co-workers. It was her dependable work ethic that made her successful, early in her career, but there were times she really wanted to just say _damn it all_ and take longer at lunch, like so many of her co-workers. What always stopped her was the thought of disappointing people who expected her to remain the reliable Hermione who was always there in the clutch. What they didn't know was that she was beginning to resent the stereotype. She snapped out of her personal thoughts, just in time to see Ginny eyeing her with a funny expression. "What?"

"What are you thinking about? I can see the gears turning in your head."

Hermione waved her off. "Nothing; you're right. I do need a break from my doldrums routine. Count me in."

Ginny's expression became serious. "That's not the only thing that is occurring tonight."

Hermione's cocked her head. "You mean--"

"Uh-huh." Ginny ran her finger along the edge of Hermione's desk.

"Ziven and Quinn, I assume?"

"Probably; are you going to be okay?"

Hermione forced her tight throat to swallow. "Of course, I knew it was coming, sooner or later."

"If it helps, Fred and George will be there, too."

Hermione rubbed her forehead. "Brilliant."

Ginny smiled briefly before she abruptly stood up and walked to the door. "I'll see you tonight, Hermione."

Hermione sat behind her desk as she watched the door close behind Ginny. She sat, chewing on her bottom lip, still thinking before she sighed loudly. "Merlin, I just hope it doesn't turn out to be one of _those_ nights."

Harry rocked on his heels while his two best friends fussed over the cryptic directions in Hermione's hand. On their way back from the Archives, they ran into Hermione, who had immediately started to plead the need to go out that night. In retrospect, Harry had no desire to stay out late when all he wanted to do was lock himself in Grimmauld Place with the hope that when he finally did come out, life would be back to normal. Except the ever-persistent Hermione was not surrendering and was slowly beginning to irritate him. He was just about to take out his wand and Disapparate, when Hermione mentioned it was Ginny's friend who had achieved the unattainable feat of getting them invitations into one of the wizarding world's most sought after and famous locales: The Magus.

Now, he understood why Ron--a self-proclaimed homebody--had readily agreed. The Magus was an internationally acclaimed haven for those who sought refuge from regular magical society. Adding to the allure and mystery of the Magus, its location was a carefully guarded secret that supposedly changed nightly, and one had to be very important to even receive an invitation. Even Harry--the proclaimed saviour of the wizarding world--had yet to receive an invitation. It was his curiosity about the place, and Ginny's part in it, that justified why he was standing on a dark corner in a questionable neighbourhood while Ron and Hermione fussed at one another.

"Ronald, it says right here: Apparate to Hyde Park," she repeated, jabbing a finger at the card.

Ron threw his hands up. "Fine, I just wish we didn't have to go through hell and high water to reach this bloody place."

"It's the Magus, Ron," Harry pointed out.

Ron threw a glare in Harry's direction. "I'm aware of that! If I had known it would be this bleeding difficult, I would've stayed at home."

Hermione shook her head, clearly exasperated with Ron. "Are you ready?"

Harry nodded, and with a twist of the wrist, the three Apparated off the London side street. Harry opened his eyes, expecting to see Hyde Park, but instead, he saw a dilapidated warehouse in a distant corner of London, far from Hyde Park. Ron expressed his frustration loudly for the both of them, in a string of curses.

"Ronald!" She stamped her foot, staring down a significantly taller and bigger Ron. "I do wish you would mind your language." She snatched the card from her cloak. "Now, if you can behave," she emphasized, "Follow me."

Ron grumbled under his breath as he shuffled after his fiancé. Harry, accustomed to the ministrations of his friends, followed quietly. A hulking form stepped out of the shadows and into their path. Both Ron and Harry had their wands brandished before Hermione could stop them.

"Ron, Harry!" she chastised, motioning them to put down their wands.

The formable mass removed its hood, unveiling a shiny, bald head with a gold earring hanging from his ear. "Names?" he demanded in a gruff voice.

Hermione stepped forward with a sweet grin on her face. "Hermione Granger, plus two."

The massive man frowned as he pressed his ear and began talking, his dark eyes roving over the group and straying on Harry longer than the others. He finished talking and his demeanour changed from bully to gentlemen. "Granger plus two." He motioned for them to step closer. "The secret to your desires lies within the Magus," he mumbled. They were startled to see the decayed warehouse arch up and a doorway appear.

"_Fidelius_ Charm? Thought it would be more difficult than that," said Ron as they followed the man down the stairs and into the Magus.

It took a moment for Harry's sight to adjust to the new surrounding darkness, but once it did, he understood what exactly made the Magus different from other places he had been to before.

Harry's first impression was that it reminded him of a documentary he had watched about a famous New York nightclub during the 1920's. The colour scheme of black, white, and silver gave the impressive space a classic edge, while the menagerie of flashing lights was trance inducing. The space was split into two levels, the upper level being accessed by a continuous queue of wizards and witches ascending and descending the intricate wrought-iron staircases. Along a back wall was an expansive bar with several bartenders performing acrobatic stunts to mix drinks, all to the cheers of the gathering crowd. Situated to his right were several rows of black velvet lined booths, filled to the brim with famous witches and wizards. In a nearby booth, Harry recognized Damien Szandor, bass guitar player of the Midnight Soothsayers, laughing with their lead singer, Boudica. Shymala Weldon, six time winner of Wizard Quarterly's Most Beautiful Witch Honour, smiled at him with an alluring grin. Ron nudged him to point out Quirinus Mercury, the top distributor of racing brooms in Britain. The further they ventured, the more the secrets of the Magus were revealed.

The dance floor was crowded with bodies contorting to the pulsing bass of a song Harry didn't recognize. Hermione grabbed both his and Ron's hands as she took the lead on the twisted path through the crowd. Passing the booths, Harry understood what the secret keeper meant; none of the people they passed gave Harry a second glance. It was almost as if his scar, which had to have been noticeable since he hadn't flattened his hair down since they arrived, was invisible. None of the wide-eyed, finger pointing, and whispering behind the hand gestures that he was accustomed to had occurred. The idea of being inconspicuous for one night was enough to put a spring in Harry's step as he followed behind Ron and Hermione.

Ginny threw her head back in laughter as she watched Phoenix dance erratically. She couldn't remember the last time she had been able to really relax and put all the stress and worries behind her for a few hours to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. A blaring song rocketed through the Magus, causing the dancers surrounding her to move as one undulating wave. Dancing beside her were Phoenix and Angelina, both making gallant attempts at trying to out-dance the other. Ginny clutched her stomach when Phoenix hopped into the air and began to lock her arm in a mechanical manner. Angelina's sharp elbow jab ceased her laughter when she saw Hermione dragging Ron to their table. A habitual urge to run and greet them almost caused her to flee the dance floor, but reality settled in when Harry's spiky hair came into view. She glanced at Phoenix, who winked at her as she spun around. Ginny exhaled and set her jaw; the night could prove to be worthwhile, after all.

Hermione pulled Ron and Harry through the shifting mob. She didn't know what had possessed her to wear the fancy dress shoes with the ridiculously high heels; all the walking and Apparating had begun to take a painful toll on her feet. She wanted nothing other than to find the booth and sit down. Hermione almost cried for joy when she saw a pair of identical redheads in a deep conversation. _FINALLY!_ The twins' eyes widened as she unceremoniously heaved herself into the cushiony booth.

"Oi, it's about time you came. We thought you were going to wimp out on us!"

"Fashionably late, are we?" Fred added.

Ron nudged Hermione over to sit across from his brothers at the drink-littered table. "It took a while to get here; someone was confused with the directions," he hinted at Hermione.

Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but opted to ignore Ron, for once.

"Are you the only two here?" Harry asked as he sat down next to Ron.

"Nah, Angelina's here, Ginny is --"

"--Out on the floor, dancing with some bloke," Fred finished, in between shots of Firewhiskey. "Care for some?" He gestured towards the half empty bottle to Ron.

Ron grabbed the bottle to pour himself a shot. "Some bloke?" Ron downed the shot and then cleared his throat. "Would this be the same one that got us in here tonight?"

"Afraid not, little brother; these festivities are courtesy of Ginny's friend," answered George. "I'd still like to know how she did it; we've been on the wait-list since the opening."

"And we're important entrepreneurs, you know," finished Fred. "Weasley Wizarding Wheezes has gone international."

"And we just landed the cover of _Wizard Fortune_! We deserve to be here, just as much as anyone else!" George exclaimed.

The twins continued their tirade about how they had been snubbed by the Magus, when some of their less successful peers had bragged about their experience. Hermione listened half-heartedly to the conversation and didn't even bother to chastise Ron after his fifth shot. What was more important was locating Ginny. Regardless of the purpose of the night, Hermione was apprehensive about her friend's behaviour. The increased laughter at the table caused her to look up and see Ginny standing in front of the table in a midnight blue silk dress. Hermione smirked at the gob-smacked expression Harry wore, as she tuned into the conversation.

"Glad you like the place, Ron, and drinks are on the house."

Ron's eyes widened to the announcement. "Who's paying for all this?"

Fred glared at Ron. "Got wax in your ears? How many different ways can we tell you that Ginny's friend, Phoenix, is responsible for all this?"

"Her mysterious, exotic, charming, rich friend," George added.

"Fine, I get it; when we will meet this Phoenix, Gin?" Ron asked as he waved down a cocktail witch.

Ginny glanced over her shoulder at the swarm of people. "It will take a miracle to drag her off there."

The music cut abruptly to a bass-thumping beat that brought cheers from the condensed crowd. The stocky DJ stood as a lone pinnacle in the sea of bodies, controlling the dancers with his contagious music. He cut the music again, changing it to a song that Hermione recognized from countless synchronized pounding fists in the air.

"What in the bloody hell are they doing?" Ron cocked his head to the side, watching the wild, uninhibited movement of the crowd. "It looks like they are having one massive fit!"

Fred and George gaped for a split second, before identical grins pulled their lips. Each threw back a shot and said, "Looks like my type of party." They stood up and quickly fell into the ranks of the dancing army.

Ginny latched onto Hermione's arm with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "For old time sake," she whispered, and before Hermione could register what she meant, Ginny swept her away, leaving a bewildered Ron, Harry, and her sore feet behind.

Over the next few hours--or the several drinks he counted--the table dynamics fluctuated on the same vibe as the music. At the moment, Harry was nursing the same Guinness he had started the night with. Ron was leaning heavily on his elbow, engrossed in a conversation with George that Harry couldn't decipher, although when asked a question, he would nod and reply, "Yeah."

Ginny had disappeared, yet again, after the eighth bloke--which Harry had to fight his desire of keeping tabs on--snatched her, before she had even made it back to their booth. Angelina was perched in Fred's lap, sharing a private joke, as a flushed Hermione materialized from the crowd and plopped down next to Ron. "I don't know how she does it."

"Phoenix." Ginny nudged her over to sit. "I thought you two were bad." She indicated the twins. "But it's like she caught a second wind out there. Poor bloke she's dancing with won't know what hit him!" she laughed.

"I remember that one time we took her out for her birthday."

"Kicked out of The Limelight. You know, she's very proud of that."

"Hang on," Ron interrupted. "Hermione, you've been going out with Ginny all this time."

Hermione's brown eyes darted quickly over to Ginny. "Of course, Ron, you didn't think when I was away on business in the States that I would neglect to visit Ginny, did you?" Hermione smiled serenely at Ron. "I must have mentioned it before."

"Oh, right," he muttered and ordered himself another drink.

"So, Gin, what does Phoenix do?" Ron asked. They were briefly introduced to the witch before she escaped back onto the dance floor.

"She's an Auror specialist in the forensic field." Ginny took a swig from her previously abandoned drink. "Her position keeps her busy, so she rarely has time for anything. But when she does, she is known to make the most out of it." Ginny took another sip. "Speak of the devil."

Harry observed Phoenix push off the bar with a large glass in her hand and then nudge over Angelina and Fred to take a seat. She glanced over the table before throwing Ginny a quick grin as she took a large swig from her drink.

"Phoenix, don't you think you've had enough?" Hermione chided from the opposite end of the table.

Phoenix guffawed at the question. "Not really, who knows what could happen tomorrow, might as well live my life to the fullest."

Fred and George readily agreed and clinked their beer mugs with Phoenix's.

"So, Ginny tells us you're a specialist," Harry piped up; he was admittedly curious about the witch.

Phoenix swallowed the last drop. "Correct."

"Where did you study?" George interjected.

"The Institute of Sorcery and Technology."

"Oh, so you studied with Gin-ny," Ron slurred.

Phoenix smiled. "You could say that."

"So you would know about the issues she had back then."

Ginny blanched and stared accusingly at her piss-drunk brother.

"Issues?"

"Yeah, for the first six months, all Ginny did was Floo home, complaining to Mum and Hermione about the classes and the professors. But what I remember most was an evil professor she had."

Harry noticed that Ginny edged towards Hermione when Phoenix glanced at her. "I knew all the professors, assistant professors, and instructors at the institute, and I don't remember anyone like that."

"The way Ginny described her, she was worse than Snape."

Fred snapped his fingers. "I remember that; Gin here use to cry and bemoan how impossible she was and was half tempted to hex the git."

"I wish I can remember the name. Do you remember it, Ron?" George asked.

"No, Hermione?"

Hermione warily glanced at Ginny's hunched form and muttered, "Evilene."

"That's it!" all three Weasley brothers cried out.

Ron started to rock in his seat, a habit he had when he became excited. "Evilene! It's what her friends called her... Ginny used to have us in tears when she described that beastly woman." Ron started to laugh.

"Beastly?" Phoenix's eyebrows arched. "What else did Ginny say?"

"The terms _butch_, _self absorbed_, _sadistic_, and _egotistical maniac_ were used often. She even said that compared to her, Snape was as intimidating as a flobberworm." The three brothers erupted into cackling hysterics. It wasn't particularly amusing, but being as pissed as they were, everything and anything could have driven them into hysterics.

Fred pretended to swoon. "Our poor Ginny had to suffer at the hands of such an evil person."

Ron laughed, reaching around Hermione to poke Ginny in the arm. "Remember, Gin?"

Ginny didn't bother to lift her head and lamely shrugged her shoulders.

"What's wrong, Gin? You used to think it was fun to take the Mickey out of Evilene," George pointed out.

"What was her real name?" Phoenix asked, causing the laughter to die down a bit.

Ron shrugged. "To be honest, I don't know. I don't think we ever asked and Ginny never mentioned it." Ron directed his attention to the cowering form of Ginny. "What was her name?"

"Nick," Ginny muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Nick?" Phoenix repeated. "Nick?" Harry thought for a moment he had seen Phoenix's eyes flicker blue behind her glasses, but as quickly as it had happened, it was gone. The witch stared icily at the downcast head of Ginny.

No one at the table had noticed the dark shadow crossing her face until Angelina spoke up, "Phoenix?"

Phoenix snapped her eyes away. "I see my reputation has preceded me."

"What?" Ron coughed.

"Quiet a description, Gin. Quite a description." She shook her head, chuckling to herself. "But, Ginny, _butch_? I would say _athletic_, hell, even _diesel_," she held up her tan arm to inspect them, "but _butch_?" she pushed her hand through her short brown hair. "If it's because of the short hair, Pyro, well that's really--"

A look of pure mortification amplified Ginny's features. A devious grin quirked Phoenix's lips before she turned to her left and extended a hand towards Fred, George, and Ron. "Allow me to re-introduce myself; my name is Nick." The fixed rhythm was the only thing heard in the silent wake that answered. Phoenix grinned at the twins and Ron and pushed her hands towards them. "It's okay, I won't bite."

Fred looked down at her hand and back to his brother. "Blimey, here we are taking the Mickey out of you the entire time and we never knew you were you," George croaked while he moved to shake the witch's hand.

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered. "I'm sorry, we--"

"No problem; I'm aware I was a bit hard to swallow back in the day, wasn't I, Hermione?"

Hermione smiled faintly. "You do have a knack of leaving a lasting impression."

Separate conversations slowly returned to the table. Nick sat adjacent to Harry and was idly swirling around the amber liquid in her glass. Harry recognized the detached look in her brown eyes because he had seen it reflected in his own. He half listened to the twins' animated story while his mind buzzed about the new witch sitting across from him. This was someone who probably knew about Ginny's activities for the past three years. Questions lingered on his tongue, waiting to be asked, but he had the instinctive feeling that answers would not be forthcoming. He joined in the laughter from the story when a dark haired man with blue tips delivered a private message to Phoenix. Phoenix glanced over the table before she patted the man on the shoulder and placed her drink down to stand up. "I'm afraid something has come up." She nodded to Hermione and Ginny. "I hope we can do this again, soon." She said her goodbyes and departed.

"That was abrupt," said Fred.

"Any idea what that was about?" George asked Ginny.

Ginny stared at the spot Phoenix had just vacated. "With Nick, it could be anything."

The dying noise level and the thinning crowd was an indication that the end of their night was nearing. Hermione stood up first and tugged a swaying Ron to his feet. "Come on, love." She wrapped one of Ron's long arms around her neck.

"Do you need me to help?" Harry offered as he got to his feet.

Hermione waved him away. "I think I can handle him with an easy Levitation Spell."

"Okay." Harry leaned to kiss Hermione's cheek. "I'll Floo later to check in on him." He pointed at Ron. Hermione smiled as she waved and led Ron away.

George jumped to his feet. "Best of year, Fred?"

"Close second, George," Fred replied as Angelina stood up from his lap and stretched.

The twins and Angelina said their goodbyes and left, replaying the night's events between them. Harry glanced across the table and was surprised to see Ginny staring at him. "Are you sober enough to Floo home?" she asked.

"Yeah, how about you?"

She pulled a pair of keys from her purse. "No Floo, remember?"

Harry grabbed Ginny's robe from a nearby hook and held it open. It was a harmless gesture, but when his thumbs grazed over her naked shoulders, an old beast purred in his chest. Out of habit, he squeezed her shoulders after he clasped her robe. Ginny's eyes followed to where his hands lay and then stared hard into his eyes. It was the first time they had been in close proximity since he had helped her in the Ministry atrium that day. He stood, staring at her, fully admiring her mature beauty.

Ginny cleared her throat. "Best be going."

"Yeah," Harry replied as he stepped back to put his own cloak on. They made their way toward the exit and stopped a few times when Ginny had waved good night, thankfully to none of the blokes she had danced with that evening, but the wizard with the blue hair hugged her before they entered the cool London night. Ginny began walking down the street and Harry followed. She turned around. "Where are you going?"

"Walking you to your car,"

"I'm perfectly capable of walking myself, Harry."

"I know, but just humour me, okay?"

Ginny glanced up and down the barren street a couple of times. "I see no Brazilian witches running about, so, I guess so." She shrugged and began walking again.

Harry bit back a laugh as they walked several more blocks in complete silence and they came upon her car. Ginny fumbled with her keys before Harry stepped up to help her. Ginny turned back towards him and smiled gently. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Harry raked his hands through his hair. "Are you going to be all right to get home?"

"I'll manage."

"Right." Harry was about to step away, when a rapid clattering of footsteps raced up behind them. Harry pushed Ginny behind him and quickly brandished his wand.

A hand shot out to surrender, when the other swiftly removed their hood, revealing a dishevelled Tonks, in formal robes.

"Tonks?" Ginny stepped away from Harry. "What are you doing here? I thought you were with Remus." She walked towards the witch.

"Harry, Ginny, I've been looking everywhere for you," Tonks sputtered.

"Has something happened?"

"Is it Remus?" Harry asked.

"No." She waved them off. "Remus is fine, but you need to come with me, right now."

"Why?" Harry noticed the grim expression on Ginny's face.

"The Hogsmeade woman is awake."

* * *

_**A/N:** I know your ready to string me up and tar and feather me for my severe delay in updating. I had personal issues that I had to address before updating EoM. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please read and review! Don't give up on the kid just yet there is much more to come._


	5. Chapter 5: Revelations

Edgedancer of Madness

By: Enygma 1920

Disclaimer: I own none that you recognize; everything else is the result of my overactive imagination.

Chapter 5: Revelations

* * *

The tea sloshed over the edge of the cup and splashed on his shoes. "Damn it." he groaned as he schlepped up the stairs. The slow burn of fatigue was beginning to settle deep into the tendons of Harry's shoulders as he struggled to hold onto what was left of the tea. At the moment he could use a large dose of what Ron referred to as his 'curiously cure-all coffee' but being that he was still at St. Mungo's, weak tea would have to suffice. 

"Oi! There you are!" Tonks rushed down the hallway to meet him. "I just got called back to the office and wanted to catch you before I left. I just spoke with the attending healer; she should be ready for questioning soon." Her hand dropped onto his shoulder. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine." He glanced over her shoulder, "How is she doing?"

"Ginny?" she glanced over her shoulder. "Don't worry, I've seen her like this before, she's just focused that's all." She assured him. "It could be worse, I was able to get her to freshen up," she smiled.

Harry's gaze dropped down to his own disheveled robes from the night before.

She held out a package. "Ron gave me your extra set"

"Thanks," he muttered as he reached for them, when her other hand stopped him.

Tonks cocked her head to the side with a curious look. She studied him for a moment before smiling briefly, "Nevermind," she muttered and patted him on the shoulder, leaving him wondering what could have cause the odd behavior. _It is Tonks_, he reminded himself as he walked to where Ginny was sitting.

Ginny had barely spoken more than three words to him in the last eight hours and that wasn't to say that Harry hadn't tried to drum up a conversation, but each time his solid attempts fell on deaf ears. She now sat in her dark blue, American Auror robes with her chin resting in her palms. He plastered a cheery grin on his tired face and sat down in the adjacent armchair. He nudged Ginny's arm with the cup as her quizzical stare shifted to him then to the cup. "I thought you could use some."

Ginny eyed the cup for a moment and then took his offering. "Thank you," she murmured in a raw, scratchy affect.

Harry studied her as she took a sip. A maelstrom of thoughts had swirled and accumulated in his mind during the overnight vigil. The notion that Ginny knew more than what she led them to believe was something he couldn't ignore and was a bit unsettling. He settled in to make head of them when He felt the curt movement of air brush past him as Ginny stood up. Harry jumped to his feet and followed her.

The healer looked up from his notes. "Hello Mr. Potter, Ms. Weasley." He shook their hands.

"Any news?" Ginny asked.

"Some, but before I get into that, I'm sure you're both aware we were able to identify the victim through a missing witches network?" He pulled a sheet of parchment from his clipboard and handed it to Harry. Harry looked down at the candid photo of a smiling witch sitting on a swing. "Her name is Sabrina Palminteri of Richmond, Virginia."

"She's from the states?"

"That's just the tip of the iceberg. According to the missing witches report filed, she was last seen," his grey eyes scanned his clipboard. "30th of June."

"June?" Harry muttered as the healer ushered them to a nearby light fixture.

"Exactly," he said, holding up the muggle x-ray. "She has several healed fractures along with several re-fractured bones," He pointed out.

"What other injuries did she arrive with?" Ginny asked.

"She suffered massive internal bleeding from a ruptured spleen, severe blunt force trauma to the head, a fractured femur and right clavicle, two broken ribs and first degree burns on her right hand and upper arm. We were able to control the internal bleeding but she is still at a critical stage. The damage done on her jaw was severe enough that we had to forego any and all magical treatment and opted instead to wire her jaw shut." He removed the x-ray from the light with a grave expression. "She's very lucky this one."

"How have you been able to communicate with her?" Harry asked.

"A resident healer suggested we use a device he saw at a local business." Healer Overton answered. "It seems that a pair of local wizards invented an instrument that allows one to project their voice similar to how a muggle ventriloquist does." He turned and gestured for Harry and Ginny to follow. "It proved to be quite efficient, very ingenious if you ask me."

Harry smirked as he recognized the flamboyant design of Weasley Wizarding Wheezes. "I will be outside if you need me." Healer Overton replied as he tossed the box into a bin and walked away.

They entered the dimly lit room that smelled heavily of sanitizing potions. The room was empty of the customary get well items with a tinge of sadness in the air. Ginny stood back from the bed and stared at the slight form of the woman before she quietly exhaled and pulled a chair next to the bed side. She tentatively reached out and took hold of the woman's bandage hand. "Miss. Palminteri?" There was a muffled groan and shifting of sheets as the women rolled over to face Ginny. Harry's stomach clinched when he caught sight of the woman that had sent the vivid memories ricocheting through his mind.

She wordlessly gestured for Ginny to grab the blue collar from the table. Ginny help place the collar around the woman's neck and a disembodied voice hit their ears. "Are you two the Auror's they sent?"

"Yes, I'm Auror specialist, Ginevra Weasley and this is Auror, Harry Potter."

"I never thought I had to be abducted and held hostage just to meet Harry Potter," she laughed only to wince. "Have to love the irony in that and please call me Sabrina."

They both acknowledge her request with a nod, then Ginny spoke, "Sabrina, this may be difficult and I want to assure you we will stop at anytime during the questioning if it gets too hard for you. Okay?"

"Okay."

Ginny shifted in the chair to prop her elbow on the night stand. "Tell me what, if any memories you have before you woke up this morning."

Sabrina's hazel gaze left Ginny's to focus on the ceiling. "I remember it being a warm summer evening and I decided to walk my dog, Hannibal."

"What time did you leave your house?"

"It had to be close to six-thirty."

"Where do you normally take your dog for walks ?"

"I usually stay on Monument Street, but with the weather so nice I walked further than usual."

"Where did your walk lead you?" Harry asked.

"By the James River. It was getting dark but figured I could easily apparate back."

"But you didn't?"

"No, I was playing with Hannibal near the river bank when a man approached me with his own dog. We chatted briefly and I turned to walk away when something struck the back of my head." She paused for a moment. "Everything is sketchy after that."

"Do you remember anything in particular about the man?"

"Nothing really, he looked like your average wizard. He was short and had a heavy accent that you don't hear often in Richmond."

"How did you know he wasn't a muggle?"

"He brought up a recent Sweetwater All-Star match. Only a wizard would know about Quidditch."

"Odd accent," Ginny murmured to herself. "Did this wizard have a flamboyant hair color by any chance?"

"No, it was dark like Mr. Potter's."

"Sabrina, can you think of any reason why someone would abduct you? Money? Blackmail? Revenge? Anything?"

Sabrina's brow furrowed. "Not to my knowledge. My family is a good mixture of muggle-borns, purebloods and half-bloods. A few black sheep here and there but overall pretty mundane compared to other wizarding families."

Ginny sighed in obvious frustration. "Although…" The speculation in her tone caused sparks to fly in Ginny's amber eyes. "Nevermind," she shook her head.

Harry was about to question what she intended to say when a light knock on the door interrupted them with a smiling medi-witch poking her head into the room. "It's time for your pain potions."

"Anything else I can help you with?"

"No, we'll be in touch. Thank you, Sabrina." The words had barely made it out of Ginny's mouth before she was pushing past Harry, fleeing from the room. Harry watched her escape through the doors before muttering a quick goodbye and following after her. He stepped into the much brighter hallway searching for a sign of her, and finally, he spotted her red-mane whip around a corner. Harry jogged after her only to catch the green flames of floo departure flare and die in the St. Mungo's fireplace.

"Damnit," he muttered. Traveling by floo was not one of Harry's favorite modes of transportation. He grabbed a handful of floo powder and was about to set off when he realized he never heard Ginny's destination. He poked his head out of the fireplace. "Oi, did you by chance hear her destination?"

The security guard didn't bother to look up from his newspaper. "I'm afraid that is a breech in security sir."

Harry cleared his throat and bit back a grin when he saw a mixture of recognition and horror cross the guards's features. "Sorry Mr. Potter, I didn't recognize you." He stammered. "Ministry of Magic was her destination."

"Thank you." Harry nodded and sprinkled the floo powder around him. "Ministry of Magic," he coughed. The room whirled out of existence as he hurtled downward towards what he hoped was the right destination. He didn't have a good track recorded with flooing. But before he had a chance to swallow back the sickness the hurtling motion had churned up, he felt his knees buckle underneath him as he arrive in the Ministry atrium. Harry dusted the soot off his robes and made his way towards Ginny's office.

As he arrived at the office he could hear her soft voice behind the large wooden door. He knocked and waited to be invited in. When he wasn't, he took it upon himself to open the door. Ginny sat behind her desk muttering to herself as she sent papers flying across her desk. Harry stood unnoticed, watching her carefully as he contemplated his next move. Groaning at how stupidly he was behaving, he decided it was now or never.

"Ginny?"

She quickly glanced up with her unyielding eyes. "Yes?"

"Is everything okay?"

The scratching of the quill stopped. "I'm fine," she asserted and returned to her task.

Harry's emerald eyes studied her, carefully. It might have been years since they were truly close, but he wasn't so daft that he couldn't tell something had upset her at St. Mungo's. "Ginny, I have to ask you a question."

She sighed, "What is it, Potter?"

_Better get on with it. "This isn't your typical homicide investigation…is it?" _

She stopped to inspect him with a curious glare. "What makes you think that?"

"I've been watching-er, working with you for some weeks now and-" he figured it was in his best interest not to reveal everything, _yet. _"I think I know you well enough to know when you're giving me the run-about."

Ginny eyed him as though she were reading his thoughts. "I think you're wrong, that's what I think, and as much work as you and my brother have put into researching my old cases, I'm afraid the information you seek is classified," she snapped.

_She knows?_

"Now if you don't mind, I have some work to do." She accentuated her point with an obvious reshuffle of papers.

"Ginny, what aren't you telling me?" Harry took his stance in the chair across from her. "I'm not looking for a row but, I need to know what you're not telling me."

"I cannot disclose anything." The words fell like a well-practiced mantra as she turned away from him.

"Is this investigation linked to Zeddemore?"

"What?" Her eyes now held a defensive glint to them.

"Ron put together that you've worked on several high profile, classified investigations with and for Zeddemore." He leaned forward. "What little information we know made it obvious there is more to this investigation than what you're telling us, Gin."

A defiant Ginny sat in front of him with her jaw set. "I can neither confirm nor deny what you speculate. If you and Ron have an overwhelming desire to be in the know, I suggest you talk to Kingsley."

"I don't get it," his probing gaze locked with her unflinching one. "Is this how they taught you how to run an investigation? By withholding information from those you're supposed to be working with?"

"Don't question how I run an investigation, Potter. If you didn't have a habit of taking the reckless approach to everything, they wouldn't have had to call me in."

"That's not the point." His emotional restraints were beginning to buckle. "But it seems you've made it a point to go out of your way to be difficult to work with!" He should've stopped there but he didn't, "And I'm not the only one to notice. What happened to you Gin? The Ginny I knew would never let anything, let alone the past, effect--"

Ginny's eyes widened. "What did you honestly expect?" she asked, accentuating her point with her fist ramming the desk. "That after three years of no communication, I was going to run in here, jump in your lap and squeeze your hand affectionately and say 'Oh Harry, I know you were a selfish prat but lets pretend nothing ever happened.' Blush furiously and stick my elbow in a butter dish?"

Harry gritted his teeth. He didn't know whether to be irritated that her statement held some truth or the fact that a naive part of him hoped for it. "No, I assumed you would be the professional you claim to be."

"I am a professional," she gritted out through her teeth.

_Shite, he ran a hand through his hair. "Gin--"_

"You made your bed, Potter so lie in it." Ginny pushed away from her desk. "I will not have your desire to make things right between us run the risk of ruining my investigation." She stopped her retreat and turned back to him. "You had three years. Don't start giving a damn when it's too late." The force of the door slamming shook it's solid frame.

The stoic silence was all that was left as he stood alone in Ginny's office. He sighed heavily, "Fine."

* * *

Hermione shifted the substantial weight of ancient texts that was bearing down on her arms as she shuffled down the marble hallway. While at the Magus the night before, Phoenix had approached her with a proposition she could hardly turn down. It was early on Friday afternoon and she felt justified for skiving off work; besides, this was far more interesting than alphabetizing vanishing spells. It also helped to know that her absence would go unnoticed with Ron on an assignment at Godric's Hollow which meant he would be unreachable until that evening. "Phoenix, exactly how old are these books?" she huffed. 

"A little over two thousand years, give or take five hundred years, why?" she yelled over her shoulder before turning a corner.

"Just curious," she wheezed. "I didn't know the Citadel had books this old."

"We don't, I borrowed these from the Conservatory, just don't tell Formalhaut that." Phoenix cackled.

"Merlin, how much farther?"

"Almost there, this room is so far off the beaten track we won't be disturbed for hours." Phoenix stopped in front of a pair of large oak doors. "Here we go," she shifted her own stack of books to one arm and opened the door.

It was easy to tell the room hadn't been in use for some time with Phoenix's footprints marking the dusty floor. "_Lumos_."

Hermione had dropped her books onto the table when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. "Ginny?"

Ginny sat in the farthest and darkest corner of the room. "Ginny? Ginny what on earth are you doing here?"

"Thinking," she replied with a quick sip of her drink. "Just needed a someplace quiet to get my thoughts straightened out, that's all."

Hermione pulled out a chair and sat down next to her. "I thought you and Harry were at St. Mungo's for the questioning." She noticed the additional sip taken with the mention of Harry's name.

"We were."

"How did it go?" Phoenix asked from behind them.

Ginny eyed Phoenix for a long moment before speaking. "Fine, initially."

"What do you mean, initially?"

She sighed heavily. "It appears my brother and Potter have been doing a little side-investigation of their own."

"What?"

"Hang on, how much do they know, Pyro?"

"Enough to get them suspicious, Phoenix; they've been doing they're homework on previous investigations."

"Shit," Phoenix muttered.

"But they couldn't have found that much," Hermione rationalized. "They don't have the security access let alone the means to even know where to begin." _That was her area of expertise when it came down to it._

"They know about Zeddemore."

The colour washed from Phoenix's face and was replaced with a fierce scowl. "You never talked to the boy did you?"

"I didn't think it was necessary," Ginny's voice instantly became defensive.

"What was the first rule I taught you about leading an investigation, hmmm?" Phoenix threw her hands up in the air and began to pace. "Rule #1 Pyro, and you know it better than anyone else! You assured me you would talk to him!"

"Oi, come off it, Nick! You know how much this investigation means to me and to all of us! I wouldn't risk it-"

"But you did! Whatever your issues are with Potter, you have let them put the entire investigation at risk! I bet you haven't even informed him of the evidence you found!"

"Nick, you don't know Potter. He's reckless and is a threat to my entire case and-"

"And you not disclosing anything isn't?" she pointed out. "If the stories Fox told me of the infamous trio are true, you knew that keeping them in the dark was just as dangerous!" Nick shouted. "And now they know about Zeddemore. Merlin knows what else they could've have discovered." Phoenix took off her glasses to rub her eyes. "Why did you do it?"

Hermione watched as Ginny's argument floundered while Phoenix verbally lacerated her with her barbed wire tongue. Although Hermione was sympathetic to Ginny's situation, Phoenix had a valid point. Harry and Ron were never ones to let anything stand in the way of their curiosity and Ginny was fully aware of that.

"Weasley, your behavior was irresponsible and foolish. You are a certified forensic Auror specialist. I expected more from you." Phoenix stared hard at the witch before she stalked out of the room.

Hermione kept her eyes locked on Ginny, waiting for an invitation to speak.

"She's right you know," Ginny sighed in frustration. "I came back assuring myself that I wouldn't let Potter affect me. But here I am letting his presence jeopardize everything I've worked for."

"Ginny, you did-"

"And if you're going to lecture me, Hermione about how I was wrong, you can save your breath."

"That's not fair."

"Neither is life."

Hermione frowned. ""Well, I'm not going to lecture you… I know your actions weren't in vain." She moved closer. "It's just-- why did you do it?"

Ginny's hand compulsively played with the solitarily ring on her finger. "Has anyone ever done something to you that, even years later, just thinking about it brings back all the raw emotion and anger you felt at that moment?"

Hermione nodded, she could think of several instances that included her fiancé.

She lowered her head into the crook of her arm. "Even after five years I've only become angrier and disgusted with myself for the entire ordeal. Sometimes I think I should've taken Percy's advice and avoided him altogether."

"You don't mean that."

"But I do," she admitted. "It's an idea that has never left me over the years."

"You don't mean that Ginny. You and Harry were friends at Hogwarts and-" Hermione stopped herself. "I know Harry brings up feelings in you that are wonderful yet terrifying at the same time, but Ginny, you know what you have to do. You just have to do it."

"I don't know, Hermione. I don't believe things between me and Potter will never change. I've survived three years without him in my life and I would like to keep it that way." Ginny took the ring off, rolling it between her fingers. "If there's one thing I've learned, it's never let your emotions guide you in life."

Hermione fought the urge to persuade Ginny to change her mind, but knew it would be futile. Like a true Weasley, once her mind was set there was nothing that could change it. The only person that could was the one she was set against.

"She doesn't know does she?"

Ginny's somber eyes met with Hermione's. "No."

Hermione was about to ask why, when the sound of the door opening broke the atmosphere. A slim wizard walked towards them with a grim expression.

"I apologize for barging in here, but I was told to come directly to you, Pyro."

"What is it, Jonas?"

"I'm afraid there is a problem and you must leave right now," he handed her a rolled parchment.

"Another victim has been found."

* * *

Harry's hand rubbed his tired eyes and focused on what was left of his mutilated steak and kidney pie. He pushed around the spare pieces as his eyes dropped to the abandoned newspaper next to him. The front page of every newspaper imaginable was littered with the news of the abduction of a secretary's daughter from the Italian Ministry while the family was in England on holiday. The press had a field day with the news and set up camp outside the Ministry of Magic, harping day and night in attempts to get any bit of information regarding the investigation. The last two weeks had been stressful for everyone at the ministry, but it was felt the hardest in the Auror department. 

After he left Ginny's office, he spent the rest of the afternoon in Kingsley's office. It took some heavy persuasion before the head Auror reluctantly agreed to take Harry off the investigation. Ron was less than pleased about the change in assignments and refused to speak more than two words to Harry for a day or two until he broke down only to complain about Ginny's demanding demeanor. Although being off the case had the sole benefit of rarely seeing Ginny, the alternative sixteen hour detail assignments Harry had been pulling was beginning to wear him down. He left Kingsley's office thinking he had done what was in the best interest of everyone, but now he was beginning to have doubts himself.

"Murder me Harry."

Harry greens eyes lifted to see a clearly exhausted Ron settle into the seat across from him.

"Late night?"

"More like days. Speaking of days what is today?"

"Thursday, I think"

"Blimey," Ron ran his hands thru his hair. "I've been on the clock since Tuesday."

Harry pushed over the smoking concoction he had been nursing earlier. "Here, this should help."

Without question Ron brought the mug to his lips and choked it back with a wince. "Bloody hell, what is that?"

Harry smirked. "You don't want to know."

"Right," Ron took another long drink. "How goes the detail?"

Harry sighed and slumped back into the cushioned booth. "Fantastic."

"That bad?"

"Yeah, how is it on your end?"

This time Ron slumped back with a roll of the eyes. "Horrible, I can see why you left. My sister is mental."

"She can't be that bad."

Ron waved him off. "Harry, she's my sister and I've grown accustomed to all her nuances like any other brother would, but I've never seen her like this before."

"Like what?"

Ron glanced around the Black Cauldron before leaning in. "I can't get into specific details here but-" he lowered his voice. "I never see her stop, you know. She is constantly running back and forth between the lab and her office. It's like she on some never-ending energy potion, or spell or something." _Ron noticed it too._ "Ron, we get like that when we get into a stride while working…It comes with the territory." He wanted to believe that it was adrenaline driving Ginny's feverish work pace and ignore his gut feeling that it was something else.

Ron shook his head. "It's not like that Harry, it's like she's become obsessed." _Obsessed._ The term lingered with Harry as he became lost in his thoughts. Ron had been able to sum up all the thoughts and concerns Harry had been mulling over since she stormed out of her office that day with one term: Obsessed. But with what? What was the reasoning behind it all? It couldn't be as something simple as dedication to work. Even the most dedicated Auror knew when to step down. Something else was behind Ginny's drive, something personal and whether she liked it or not Harry had the need to know what it was and help her at all costs.

* * *

A hot shower had never felt so good after a sixteen hour shift in the field. Sixteen hours in the frigid rain searching for any clue of the secretary's daughter, Isabella. He sat down on the bench and began to pull out his clothes. There had been no new developments in the investigation after the identification of who was initially thought to be Isabella, but was actually her travel companion. Although there was a metaphorical sigh of relief among the Aurors, in Harry's mind it still meant that an innocent person was dead. He used that thought to drive him during those long nights. 

Another issue was Harry's companion on those extensive nights. It was becoming a habit of his to stop by the archives in between shifts to search for any information that could shed light on the veiled years Ginny had spent in the States. He flipped the folded parchment in his hand. The small newspaper clipping could have easily been overlooked, but something told Harry that the parchment he held in his hands would unlock the secrets of Ginny. Harry stuffed the article into his cloak pocket and stood to button his trousers when there was a knock on the locker room door. He glanced at the wall clock. _Who could that be at 2 o'clock in the morning? _He wondered as the knocking persisted. Harry walked over to the door, but before he could open it, the knocking stopped. He pulled the door opened to be greeted with an empty hallway. He glanced up and down it before shrugging and closing the door behind him.

"Tonks warned me these shifts would affect me," he muttered as he made his way back to his get things. He was in the process of locking his locker when he heard the door creak open. He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. "I thought I was the only one pulling a late night," he called out, but silence answered him. As often as Harry stayed late, this was the first time the locker room unnerved him. His trained senses heightened instantly to its surroundings. "Hello?" he glanced around the dimly lit locker room. He rolled his wand between his fingers as he stealthily made his way between the rows of lockers. Harry pressed himself against the locker and listened carefully. 'Creak' He raised his wand and spun around the corner "_Imboulus!_" The spell ricocheted off the lockers and deflected into the shower stalls. "Damnit," he heaved and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"_Paerlyzes un vito di"_

Harry never felt the sting of the spell hit him before his paralyzed body crumpled to ground in a disheveled heap. The last grasp of memory he stole before he slipped into the cool shadows of unconsciousness was begin hauled to his feet and a gruff voice saying. "It's time."

* * *

A/N: Yes I finally updated and with a cliffhanger at that. I haven't given up on this story just ran into life issues that had to be addressed. With the release of DH, I will continue and not modify the story as I had plan thus making this story AU now. Read review, rant, threaten (j/k) I deserve it for letting this story sit idle for so long. Next update soon. 


	6. Chapter 6: Infinte Illumination

Edgedancer of Madness

By: Enygma 1920

Disclaimer: I owe none that you recognize; everything else is the result of my overactive imagination.

Chapter 6: Infinite Illumination

* * *

The icy stab from the cold surface caused Harry to jerk back to reality, his head felt as though it had been pummeled by the iron fists of vengeance from the foreign spell that assaulted him. Harry struggled to remember anything; his last conscious thought was hazy and eluded him. Harry tried to lift his arm but they felt heavy and were proving difficult to move, his ears strained in hope of obtaining any clue to divulge his whereabouts.

"Bloody Hell, Harry you alright?" a deep voice slurred.

"Ron? Where are we?" Harry fought to open his sluggish eyes, when he did the blurry form of Ron came into focus hovering over him. "Is Ginny here?"

The poor lighting made the dimensions of the room unfathomable but from what was visible, everything in the room appeared to be made of dark grey granite. The sole source of light was a roaring fire contained inside a gothic marble fireplace.

There was a short silence, as Ron seemed to contemplate the question. "I was with Ginny investigating a possible tip when she went ahead of me. I came across something but--damnit- I can't- I went off to find Ginny, then I woke up here. This just doesn't make sense." Ron extended his hand to pull Harry to his feet. "I woke up in this room next to an unconscious you. No binding, no curses, hexes, who the hell would take us and leave us unguarded?"

"Time…" he muttered to himself. Harry stood up, wincing and grabbing his head. "I remember now. I was in the locker room and I heard a noise when…hang on," Harry felt his empty wand holster when he heard a distinct clicking noise on his right.

"You're wands are in my possession," a low voice emitted from the undetectable shadows of the room. "You won't need them." Harry watched as the shadows shimmered slightly as a figure materialized and walked into the few shreds of light in the room. He was a tall, thin man with long limbs. He had silvery gray hair pulled back away from his face yet his were features still hidden in the shadow except his eyes.

"Who are you and where the hell are we?" Ron snapped.

The man laughed to himself. "I have acquired many names over the years, but you can call me Antares and your other questions will be answered soon enough, Mr. Weasley, I assure you." The man settled behind the desk, a stack of parchment appeared in front of him and he began to shuffle through them. "It's a good thing we got to you when you did." He separated the stack into two and pulled a single sheet from either. "You two were being trailed heavily surprising enough, had to use unorthodox methods to secure you."

"Secure us?" Harry frowned. "Who would be trailing us?"

"Good question, association by default, I'm assuming? The timing is imperfect, we weren't expecting you two for at least another year but what can one do, hmm?,.. pity. Still Carpe diem I suppose." Harry and Ron exchanged a confused glance at the old wizard's continued to ramble. "Being professional Aurors, whoever was trailing you was doing at a great risk. But that's not what brought here tonight."

Two plush armchairs appeared behind the two wizards. "Please have a seat." Both Harry and Ron hesitated before sitting down.

The wizard's mercury eyes brighten as two sheets of parchments floated towards them both. Harry instantly recognized the parchment. It was his application for the British Auror program.

"Line 22, section C"

Harry's emerald eyes searched and landed on line 22, section C. _The said applicant after five years and or meets the objective criteria of the highest ranking member of the Infintari is eligible for recruitment into the most honorable ranks of the Most Ancient, Illustrious International Order of Sorcery and Wizardry, The Infintari._

"The Infintari?" Ron mumbled.

"Consider this a promotion of sorts." He answered Ron.

Harry reread the stipulation several times. He read his application several times before he submitted it to the Ministry and he did not recall seeing this specific byline. What concerned Harry was the true nature of the Infintari. Similar to the department of mysteries, it was an international order that was veil in ambiguity and privacy. The one commonality was the sense of fear and unknown that lead to some of the most convoluted theories regarding the Infintari. From being a governmental link between the muggle world and the magical world, a secret cult of powerful meta-wizards preparing to dominate the world and the most popular theory; a fellowship of assassins, politicians, healers and scholars that held absolute authority over both the magical and muggle societies.

"A promotion into the Infintari?"

"Well, yes and no" he replied. "There are times when influence and intervention are necessary, as you are well aware." He grimaced. "And I had hoped this day could have been avoided, but unfortunately we are in need of yours and Mr. Weasley's expertise and assistance."

A tall witch strolled into the room and deposited two thick rolls of parchment on the wizard's desk. "Thank you, Eve" The man unrolled the first set of parchment and began to examine it. "Ahh…as I expect, highly skilled and with superb experience, hmmm Quidditch keeper, never would've expected that" He murmured to himself. "Ronald Bilius Weasley, fought in the Great battle of Hogwarts during the Second Rise of the Dark Lord. Enrolled into the Royal British Auror Academy and successfully completed in three years. Ascended to the your current rank of A-10 in record time, multiple awards and recognitions, assisted in the Maxuki Investigation, Involved in numerous rogue death eater captures and voted "Auror of the Month" for three months straight by your peers" The wizard smiled. "Impressive very impressive." He sat the parchment down and picked up the other.

"Ah, Harry James Potter," Harry watched the man's mercury eyes spin in excitement. "Enrolled in the Royal British Auror Academy and completed in two and a half years, reached your rank of A-11 in record time, captured Augutus Rookwood and the Carrows, Assisted in the Maxuki Investigation etc, etc, etc." He rolled the parchment closed and placed it back on his desk.

"You both are exactly what we need"

Harry shook his head. "There are other Aurors that are higher rank and have more experience than we do," Harry wasn't buying it, it all seem too convenient and there was something more than what the wizard was letting onto. "Besides what you just read is common knowledge, if the legends of the Infintari are true…"

The wizard smiled benignly and glanced at Ron. "You previously owned a pet rat by the name of Scabbers whose true identity played an integral part in world events. You suffer from an unnatural fear of spiders that your twin brothers are guilty of inciting. You propose to a Ms. Hermione Granger, March 17th 2005 by the pond near your house and in homage of your quidditch days at Hogwarts you have a newly acquired 'kings' crown on your arm."

Harry's mouth went dry, few knew about Scabbers and those that did never spoke of it.

"As for you Harry Potter" He turned and re-directed his piercing gaze at him. "After fulfilling the prophecy, your personal demons got the best of you, and you have a habit of taking extreme actions to protect those around you-" Antares leaned forward and lowered his voice so only Harry could hear him. "And you're beginning to wonder if those extreme measures were worth keeping those you love away."

Harry grimaced and looked away.

"Okay, so clearly the Infintari has been keeping tabs on us, but that still doesn't explain why you brought us here?"

"The secrets of the Infintari are extensive and unfathomable. Even in my position Mr. Weasley, there are protocols that limit what I can divulge. But I can reveal that we are currently sitting in the citadel, the command center for the west division of the Infintari." He gestured to the room around them. "We specialize in infantry, special ops, investigation and defense." He folded his hands back into his lap. "Now, I need to know do you both accept the invitation into the Infintari."

"And if we accept-"

"Then your initiation will commence, If not I'm afraid I will have to obliterate your memory and this will be nothing more than a wisp of a forgotten dream." He stood up from his chair and made his towards them. "Per protocol, I have to give you adequate time to make your decision but I do want to make it aware that the west division is the most celebrated and often dangerous division in the Infintari, your decision needs to be taken seriously." He emphasized. "I will give you a moment and when I return, hopefully you will have made a decision." As quickly as he appeared, he returned into the murky shadows leaving them alone.

Harry's mind was buzzing with questions and immediately turned his attention to Ron. "What are you thinking?"

Ron closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "I'm questioning if even the last several minutes have even occurred and this isn't a hallucination from a backfired spell and I'm laying in a ditch somewhere in Somerset."

"Shite, Ron this is the Infintari, and do you know what this means?"

Ron chuckled. "That we're in deeper shite than usual?"

"Right" Harry answered. "But something doesn't make sense"

"Nothing about tonight makes sense, mate. What are you getting at?"

"Well, why now? It's not a secret that the Infintari exist and is involved in magical affairs, hell half the department during the war collaborated with the Infintari and why exactly does he needs _our _expertise for and why now?"

"So what's the threat now?" Ron answered Harry's thoughts.

"Exactly."

"Demented warlock?" Ron wondered.

"Could be related to the Italian Minster's daughter," He habitually rubbed the back of his neck. "What do you think?"

Ron did not answer him immediately. When he did, he looked like he was attempting to choose his words carefully. "I admit; I am curious."

Curiosity for Ron usually meant uninhibited, quick decision with no real contemplation.

"You're going to go ahead with it?"

Ron sighed "Why not? if we accept we'll get answers, but it's either all or none. Either we do it together or not at all"

Harry nodded. He admired Ron's dedication, regardless of their many disagreements they always stood by one another. Harry wasn't as quick to make a decision about this as Ron was and knew exactly what to say to make him question his judgment. "What about Hermione?"

Ron grimaced. Harry knew Ron disliked keeping secrets from Hermione but it came with the territory of being an Auror and he assumed the Infintari would be the same.

"It's not like I haven't had to do it before." He sighed. "Hermione and I will deal with it"

Harry's right eyebrow rose in question.

"Hermione is very understanding; there are aspects of both our professions that don't allow us to disclose everything. Besides, what are you thinking?"

Harry sat back with his arms crossed. Although the entire situation had left him with his own suspicions, there was an underlying inquisitive desire that was making it difficult to make a clear rational decision. "Nicaragua" he muttered.

Ron looked up at him in surprise but a small smirk pulled on his lips. "Nicargua" he repeated. "Just like Nicaragua?"

Harry nodded. "I'm in."

"It sounds like we've made a decision."

* * *

The sound of Hermione's footsteps were her only companion as she wandered aimlessly down the shadowy corridor. Her thoughts weighed heavily on her slim shoulders as she fought the strong instinct to flee when a shaft of light crossed her path. Hermione welcomed the distraction and entered one of the many training rooms. She stopped at the top of the bleachers, the viewing area was dark and appeared empty. She watched as the shorter fighter barely escaped a critical strike in their midsection. Hermione cringe inwardly and was about to leave the brutal display behind when out of the corner of her eyes she caught sight of the one who had been avoiding her. Hermione marched down the bleacher stairs and sat down behind her.

"Hey"

"Yeah"

"How long have they been at it?"

Phoenix looked at her watch. "Forty-five minutes give or take."

They quietly watched the brutal melee continue with the shorter fighter consistently just avoid the critical hits and take the minor swift blows of the other fighter. The taller fighter began to verbally berating the other when the shorter fighter snatched off her hood.

Phoenix sucked her teeth and shook her head at the red-headed fighter. "She's gotten slower."

Hermione watched as Ginny retrieve a long oak staff and initiate another round of brutal combat. "Have you talked to her?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"I have nothing to say."

"Honestly Phoenix, why won't you talk to her? I understand you were angry with how she was managing her investigation, but don't you think you overreacted? You can't hold it against her." Phoenix glared at Hermione. Hermione knew it was not her place to comment on the convoluted relationship between the two but she felt the need to point out how immature the whole situation had become. "You can't go into hiding because of a small disagreement with Ginny. You both are two of the most stubborn witches I know but this silence has gone long enough can't you see how it is effecting you both?"

Phoenix attention remained focus on the arena floor. "For your information Hermione, I am not in hiding because of some disagreement I had with Ginny-"

"Phoenix-"

"She screwed up, they know about-" she snapped and looked away quickly. "Look, my life does not revolve around the people within these walls; I just have a lot on my mind right now. Besides-" Phoenix changed the subject. "I heard about your next assignment. Are you ready?"

Hermione sighed inwardly. She swallowed down the bile taste in her mouth. "I have no choice do I?"

Phoenix nodded her head, agreeing. "Come on" she stood up quickly.

Hermione followed as they walked out of the arena. "Where are we going?"

"You need to talk and I know where Xavier hides his stash of liquor."

"I think a drink is the last thing I need right now."

Phoenix stopped walking and glance back over her shoulder. "Take it from someone who knows, you're gonna want a few drinks to deal with tonight."

Ginny was attempting to ignore the stabbing pain in her right leg. When the high kick came around again, she was not quick enough and a searing pain erupted from her right shoulder. The hooded figure she was fighting pulled back, "What the hell was that? Who have you been sparring?"

"Jonas" she panted.

The fighter removed their hood to reveal a woman with a short black hair and ice blue eyes, "Bollocks," she reached over and grabbed her water canteen. "I don't know what the hell you've been doing but you're getting lazy. You should've easily stopped it and done it plenty of times before."

Ginny brushed the wisps of hair away from her face, "Look, let's try it again. I'm ready," she returned to the previous fighting stance awaiting the attack.

"No."

"No?"

"Yes, are you daft Ginny? If I completed a few of those strikes you'd have a permanent residence at the sanctuary."

"Nonsense, Rapture, I just wasn't-"

"You weren't what Ginny?" Rapture moved closer and stared down at her. "Look, Kohani told me what went down in Madrid and I know you're itching to get back but I need you to focus, alright?" she patted Ginny on the shoulder. "You're better than this."

Rapture was right; Ginny's mind was not where it needed to be for combat training. She breathed in a few times in attempts to clear her mind when she stopped and glanced through the tinted wall.

Rapture noticed, "What?"

"Nothing," she muttered. _Just nerves_ she thought to herself and strode over to the weapon stand to retrieve her oak staff.

"Weapon work?" Rapture asked.

"Yes," Ginny pulled the hood back over her head.

Rapture smiled and twirled her staff, "Okay, ready?"

Ginny's eyes focused, her body readied itself for an attack. She nodded, "Go."

Rapture swung her staff towards Ginny's head and Ginny blocked it. Soon the sounds of wooden staff's clattering reverberated off the walls with renewed fervor as the skirmish continued.

* * *

The stale metallic taste of blood was the first clue to Harry that he wasn't dead. He felt sluggish and in a vain attempt he tried to pry his heavy eyelids but was barely able to catch a glimpse of his current surroundings. He racked his groggy memory for any clue as to where he currently laid at but came up empty handed. With his tongue securely shellacked to the roof of his mouth all but a groan escaped his parched lips. Surprisingly a welcomed glass of water was pressed firmly to his lips that his dry mouth all but eagerly accepted.

"Shhhh" a voice pressed to his ear. Harry could hear a distant sound of a door opening followed by heavy footsteps

"Zarah, Are they ready? He's waiting."

"Well, if you hadn't been so insistent on performing all the spells and charms at once," she snapped. "You know the body doesn't react well when you don't break up the spells. Besides this one had an elaborate tracking spell on him I had to modify."

"Fine, just hurry up." A deep voice warned. "Antares wants their initiation complete tonight."

"Tonight? But that hasn't been done since…"

"Exactly, so hurry."

The light swish of robes floated to his ears. He would've startled but his obtund reflexes allowed his limp arm to be picked up as someone started poking him in the bicep. Somewhere between the first and fifth poke, sensation started to return to his arm. His arm nerves fired rapid impulses down his arm with such force that when they collided, his body arch off the table ending his comatose state. Harry's eyes tried to focus on the blurry figure until the person took pity on him and they came into sharp focus hovering over him.

The witch smiled down at him. "I bet you thought the physical you had when you became an Auror was extensive before this one huh?"

Harry propped himself up to get his first real look of the room. There were shelves lined with every unique shaped bottles filled with colorful unknown liquids. A nearby table had an assortment of tools Harry recognized after multiple stints at St. Mungos. He leaned forward to get better look at what she was doing. "What's all this for?"

She smiled brightly as she turned his right arm blue from a spell. "Just your standard diagnostic spells. Right now I'm encoding your magical fingerprint into the wards protecting us." She removed the wand and rubbed a pink salve on his chest. "This might burn. I thought I would've been done before you woke up but I ran into some complications with your friend."

The salve did burn. "What's wrong with him?" Harry hissed.

"Nothing serious, He's just a big bloke." She pulled Harry up into a sitting position and handed Harry his robes.

She moved over to the next table where Ron's lanky body laid sprawled across it. "_Innervate,_" Ron's body instantly jerked back to life.

"You alright mate?"

"Brilliant" Ron slurred and rubbed his head.

"Have you performed the Discretion spell yet? Or still running your mouth?" A wizard demanded as he entered the room. He was a little shorter than Ron and Harry and had a thin, gaunt build about him. His dark hair was short and spiked with blue dye on the tips, when he turned and grinned at Zarah the resemblance to a young Sirius Black was uncanny.

Zarah face turned a deep shade of puce, "Unless you're willing to assist, I suggest you shut it." She handed Ron his robes. "They're ready." She moved towards the back of the lab and picked up two folders. "Ziven, will be escorting you to your meeting with Antares." She shoved them at Ziven. "Here, Antares wanted their examination records. I will be out on the grounds for a while, if you need me and you shouldn't-" she emphasized. "Summon me." She threw one last glare at Ziven before leaving Harry and Ron behind.

Ziven gaze followed her as he mumbled underneath his breath. Ron gave Harry a warily look at their handler. Harry cleared his throat causing Ziven to snap out of his trance.

He shook his head and smirked. "Sorry about that, lets go." Harry and Ron followed the wizard out into a dimly lighted passageway. They followed in silence until they emerged from the dark passage into a brightly lit chapel. "Where are we heading?"

"Antares's office" Ziven answered and nodded at a passing witch. "He must have something spectacular planned for you two."

Harry could hear the hint of sarcasm in the wizard's tone. "What makes you say that?"

"Because as long as I've been in the Infintari, I've never seen two processed as fast as you two just been." He glanced over his shoulder and eyed them both. "Hell even during the recent wars average processing time was a week." They exited the chapel and reached a grand staircase.

"What's your opinion on the whole situation?" said Ron.

Ziven stopped on the stairs and turned around to face them; his features darkened. "Honestly, if you two were brought in we're on the brink of something either gloriously bad or worst." He laughed to himself. "But then again it comes with the territory of being in the West division."

"What are the other division's roles?" Harry asked, being only familiar with the division that dealt with Aurors.

"We exist as one identity but are divided into four, a check and balances of power. The Southern division deals with the politics and relations between muggle and wizards, the Northern divisions focus entirely on archives and research but you'll rarely see them, they don't leave the conservatory often and the eastern division is full of healer they mainly work in advancing medi-charms and spells."

They followed him up the remainder of the stairs and headed down another endless hallway. "Exactly how big is this citadel?" Harry asked as they passed another ornate stained glass window.

"Pretty damn big, I've been here since I graduated the Academy seven years ago and I still get lost at least once a week," Ziven answered.

"The Royal Academy?"

"FBI"

"You're a muggle?"

"No, Weasley. Muggle-born, but I'm one of the few that acts as a liaison between the American muggle government and the Infintari." Ziven stopped in front of a solid redwood door and knocked.

"It's open" a woman's voice answered from behind it. Ziven opened the door and gesture for them to follow them. Harry and Ron entered a near empty fire lit room with a couch situated beside it. The woman sitting on it uncrossed her legs and stood in up.

"Little late are we?" she smiled at the three of them.

"Better late than never," Ziven replied.

She nodded and focused her sharp blue eyes on Harry and Ron. "He's inside waiting for you."

Ron gave Harry a wary sidelong glance as they made their way over to the door in the opposite corner of the room. Harry knocked gently on the door before slowly opening the door. When they entered, they were greeted with the sight of Antares sitting behind a solid redwood desk with several chairs in front it. "I'm glad you two finally made it, your colleagues were getting anxious" He motioned towards the chairs; "time to meet who you'll be working with."

Harry ventured around to the other side of the chairs and stopped dead in his tracks as he met the anxious gaze of Hermione Granger and the defiant stare of Ginny Weasley.

* * *

Author Note: Well yes I finally updated and this is chapter went through several drafts and over 100 revisions before it got to a point where I thought it needed to be and almost killed this story, hince the long several year delay between updates. This story is now AU since I started this after the 6th book and characters mention are no longer with us (RIP: Fred, Tonks, Remus) and rather than rewrite Im sticking to what I started and determined to finish it. I will be updating more frequently and already have 4 chapter already written and completed just waiting betaing in the wings. So you can tar and feather me...I deserve it, feel free to review and thanks to everyone who has review thus far and put me on their author/story alert, it does really mean alot that people are still reading my little story.

Thanks,


	7. Chapter 7: Fractured Illusions

Edgedancer of Madness

By: Enygma1920

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters you recognize.

Chapter 7: Fractured Illusions

* * *

_Well, this has the possibility of all going to hell now_. Ginny slouched back in her chair, barely paying attention to the situation around her. Ginny's initial reaction to seeing Harry and Ron enter the room was indignation_,_ but that quickly resolved when she realized how oblivious she had been. The signs had been there for months; her initial suspicion started when she entered Kingsley's office two months ago. It was just too coincidental that Harry and Ron's initial investigation was linked to hers. It was a setup, a test to see if they were West Division material.

"Typical Infintari," she grumbled to herself and snuck a sidelong glance at Hermione. She looked as if she swallowed a puking pastille and was fighting back the sickness all the while sitting next to a tight-lipped, stoic Ron. Ginny shook her head … Ron's damn double standard_. _He would hold it against Hermione even though his own position had a corresponding code of confidentiality. _Merlin, I hope he doesn't behave like an arse. Hermione will be okay. _She reassured herself and shifted her eyes away_. She has dealt with Ron in worse circumstances before. _Ginny slid lower in her seat when she found her thoughts drifting towards the last person in the room.

Since he left the investigation, her interactions with Harry were limited. It's easier to remain focused and on task with Ron than it was with Harry. Phoenix had been right; she risked two years of dedicated effort because of innate prejudice she has towards Potter. Ginny had lost herself once with Harry and had suffered the consequences. In the end, she did not trust him or herself. She resisted the temptation to glance in his direction. The wizard next to her was essentially a stranger and for her sake and for her work, it needed to stay that way.

"Ginny" Antares' sharp voice caught her attention. "-Please, stay behind for a moment."

_Damnit_, she thought as she watched Hermione glanced over her shoulder and exited the office behind Harry and Ron.

"What are you thinking, Ginny?" Antares asked once the door closed.

"Nothing."

Antares mercury eyes swirled over her. "I see; you are aware this was bound to happen."

"No sir, actually it was all a surprise to me." She answered sarcastically.

"Really?" he laced his fingers together and leaned back from the desk. "I assume after you submitted your report about the Godric Investigation with your recommendations, you would be pleased with Potter and Weasley entering the Infintari."

Ginny frowned_. _He either did not read her report or was taking the mickey out on her."But sir-"

"Nonetheless, Ms. Weasley; Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger and your brother are now working **all **aspects of the investigation with you. They will receive full disclosure. In addition_,_ I will be sending Potter with you on your assignment tonight."

"What?" Ginny jumped up from her chair. "I thought the assignment at the D.C. satellite would be with Kohani, sir?"

"Mr. Blackhawk is en route to the Sanctuary to meet Miss Dahl. Mr. Potter will replace him."

"But sir, I can handle this assignment on my own, I've done so before-"

"Mr. Potter will accompany you; that's final."

Ginny bit back her retort. "Yes, sir."

Antares gestured towards the door. "Send Potter in, please."

The door opened and Harry walked in, taking the seat closest to the door.

"I received information earlier today that preempted my actions tonight. Two of your colleagues have apprehended a person of interest who may have information about several unsolved murders that could be connected to your current investigation." He glanced back over to the pair. "We have been tracking him for quite some time, but he is human and '_Errane Humanum Est._'"

"Our wizard in question is temporarily being held at an Infintari location in Washington D.C." He pushed a file towards Ginny. She flipped it open and recognized the smug wizard immediately.

"Iago."

"Mr. Blackhawk and Mr. Nunez apprehended him in Spain." Antares was now standing directly in front of them. "Unfortunately we are not the only ones interested in him. Apparently he's gotten himself in a bit of trouble with the United States Muggle government and as a compromise we can only detain him for forty-eight hours before turning him over to them. Both of you will be leaving for Washington within the hour. Ginny you will meet up with Mr. Nunez at eleven hundred hours." His grey eyes narrowed in on both of them. "I cannot stress enough that discretion is a necessity."

Antares reached into the glass cabinet that displayed a menagerie of items. He picked up an inconspicuous crimson crystal phial. "_Portus_, Mr. Weasley will be covering for you at the Ministry; less suspicious if only one of you is gone at a time." He reasoned as he handed the phial to Ginny as they both rose from their seats. "This will take you directly to your backyard, Ms. Weasley." He reached out and squeezed Ginny's shoulder. "Remember, patience is a virtue." Antares turned and nodded his head at Harry. "Good luck."

Ginny, quickly slipped out of the office with Harry on her heels.

"Gin!"

She turned around quickly and extended the phial towards him. As she expected he reached forward and touched it. She immediately felt the usual tug behind her navel as they whisked towards her territory, where at least everything would go according to her plans.

* * *

Harry landed with a hard thud in the damp grass. Rubbing his aching knees, he sat up from his prone position to view his new surroundings. It was a moonless night with a warm breeze encircling them. Harry could hear the distant sound of nearby traffic travel over the high rock wall that enclosed the yard behind the row house. A nudge on of his head brought his attention to Ginny standing next to him. "We're here," she muttered as she walked towards the house.

Harry scrambled to his feet, "Hey Ginny, wait"

She paused for a moment and continued to walk towards the house. Harry stared at her retreating form. "Ginny!"

She stopped but remained facing away from him "Yeah?"

A million questions that demanded to be answer were at his lips. "Why?"

"What?"

"Why am I here? Why not Phoenix, Hermione, or hell even Ron?"

She turned and shrugged. "I don't know, Antares feels it's necessary for you to be here."

"But you must have an idea as to why I'm here?"

Ginny's eyes narrowed. "What makes you think that?"

"You heard what was said in the meeting, your recommendations-"

"I don't have that type of clout"

"Apparently you do." Harry continued. "Antares brought in Ron and I based on your report-"

"What are you insinuating, Potter?"

"It just seems a little odd that you've been avoiding me at all cost for the last month, barely speaking more that two words to each other and now based on your recommendations, I'm here with you on an assignment?"

Ginny's body shifted into a defensive stance. "Let me clear up some things for you. I do not know nor can I give you a reason why Antares sent you with me. I realize we haven't been on the best terms lately but if Antares sees it fit for you to be here, we will complete our assignment." She turned to walk away and stopped. "I've spent the better part of two years on this project and I will not have you jeopardize everything because you're new to the cause and want to question everything. Just remember, this is my investigation."

Harry bit back his retort, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He suspected that there was more to this investigation than Ginny was willing to divulge, yet sensed she was just as uncertain as he was about him being there. At least there was one minor bright aspect of the night – learning that Ginny was in the Infintari. It hadn't surprised him, but it explained a few suspicions he had while confirming just how little he knew about her.

Ginny led him over a concrete patio to a locked screen door. She removed her wand from her robes and performed an intricate wand movement. A click answered them as she the door unlocked. Harry was about to follow her blindly into the dark recesses of the house when she stopped him. "Tell me something about myself."

Harry's brow furrowed in confusion.

"It's a security charm." She answered him.

Harry thought for a moment and answered. "You like to watch the sunrise; you say it's the best time of day for peaceful reflection."

For the first time in a long time, Ginny's expression softened as she stared at him with her chocolate brown eyes. She quickly looked away and gestured for Harry to follow her into the house.

They walked through what was in his opinion a kitchen put to good use. There was a bevy of hanging pots and pans strewn about the ceiling and a mixture of muggle and magical cooking utensils scattered throughout. Left on the stove was a pot with brown contents, chopped vegetables on a cutting board and a poor potato impaled by a butcher knife.

Ginny turned off the fire under the simmering pot. "Nick left in a hurry." She muttered then pushed through a pair of double doors. "Here it is." The pale yellow walls had an assortment of vintage posters and framed photographs of smiling witches and wizards scattered throughout. The centerpiece of the room was the large dark blue sofa with two identical armchairs over hardwood floors. The entire space of one wall supported a sprawling muggle entertainment system. Even Harry's own collection of muggle movies was no match for the collection that lay out before him.

"They're Phoenix's" Ginny answered his thoughts.

Harry walked over and ran his fingers over the title jackets, some titles he recognized others he did not. Ginny replaced a DVD that was sitting on a table. She removed a winged figurine from her robes and transfigured it back into the file Antares had handed her at the citadel. "Here is the dossier for tomorrow. Read it over and commit it to memory. We have an early start in the morning so I'm going to head up, but if you-"

"Actually," Harry interrupted. "It's been long night and I was thinking I would do the same."

Ginny nodded and waved her wand, summoning a small stack of blankets and pillows. She opened a side door to a small guest room off the living room. "There is a washroom through the door on your right."

Harry took in the room around him. The room was an average guest room with a small desk and bookcase in one corner, a wizard wireless on top of the bookcase. "Thanks," Harry sat the stack down on the small bed, he watched Ginny leave the room. She paused for a moment and turned to face him "Goodnight." she muttered before closing the door behind her.

Harry walked over the bookcase. He tapped the wireless with his wand several times, hoping to find a quidditch match but after several failed attempts, he refocused his attention to the bookcase. He bent down and began to pull a book out when a title caught his attention. He pulled the dusty book from it stack and smiled. "She did keep them" he flipped through the autographed copy of 'Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart' he had given Ginny in her first year. The warm feeling was short lived as the memory of Ginny lying lifeless in the chamber of secrets resurfaced. Harry shook the distressing memory from his thoughts and replaced the book back on the bookcase. He sat down on the bed, opened the dossier, and began to prepare himself for the morning.

* * *

Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump.

Harry rolled over and groaned. "Too early," he mumbled and pinned the pillow over his head.

The door creaked open. "Ron dropped a duffel of your belongings off." Harry heard it hit the floor.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and put on his glasses. Ginny stood at the door with her arms cross. For the briefest moment, he thought he saw a faint blush colour her cheeks. "I'll be in the living room." She turned quickly and closed the door behind her. Harry stood up and stretched, scratching his bare chest. He went over, threw the duffel over his shoulder, and headed towards the washroom.

Harry readied himself - unsure of exactly what he was preparing himself for, even after reviewing the dossier. It was still unclear what part he was to play in the day's events. He turned off the faucet and glanced at his reflection in the mirror as he slid his black Auror uniform over his head.

"Potter!"

Harry attempted to pat his unruly hair down as he walked into the living room. Ginny was standing dressed in her indigo American Auror robes with her fiery red mane tied into a loose knot on top of her head. She was shuffling papers in her hand and muttering to herself besides the fireplace. She glanced up at him but quickly returned her attention to her shuffling.

"The initial plan was to side apparate to the location," said Ginny as she walked towards him. "But the security around the location has been tightened. I could get in but you risk getting splinched." Harry's brow furrowed. "We're taking muggle transportation instead and I need to use several glamour charms to hide your identity" she replied, removing her wand from its holster.

"Hang on" Harry stepped back, "If were going to a secure Infintari site, why the charms?"

"Technically you're pulling a double shift in London, only Antares and the immediate team knows you're here. The others will be expecting Kohani."

Ginny began elaborately casting several charms barely leaving the noticeable traces that glamour charms typically leave behind. Harry ruffled his blond hair and adjusted his collar as he followed Ginny to her car. As they drove, Ginny handed Harry another dossier. When he opened the file, a wizard grinned back at him that could easily make it on a cover of witch weekly with a pedigree that would make Malfoy envious.

"Iago" Ginny answered. "A defector from the Infintari"

"A defector?" Harry asked and glanced at the picture again.

"From the Southern Division" she turned the car onto the main road. "It happens more often than they care to admit in that division."

"Did you work with him?"

She shook her head. "Phoenix worked with him in the early Zagan years; I only encountered him in my first year at the Institute." The tone of her voice took a bitter tone.

"What happened, it doesn't mention it here in the file." Harry flipped through the dossier. The file was light on detail but listed several transgressions that he recognized. "The dates are around the time of Zagan's terror campaign"

Ginny shrugged. "He had already gone rogue when I started; those who know cannot or will not talk about it."

Harry shifted in his seat to look out the window as they turned off the main road onto a heavily wooded one. The road emptied them unto a small campus of buildings. There were several older buildings; some covered in creeping vines surrounding a central point marked by a simple white marble fountain. Harry noticed that the few people milling about appeared in grey uniforms similar to a training facility. "Where are we exactly?"

Ginny shifted her car in park. "The Institute," she muttered. "Come on." She guided him across the campus and down a trail towards the surrounding woods. They continued deeper into the woods, the path becoming more treacherous and sloping downward. The steep decline did not defer Ginny's quick pace, she suddenly veered off to the right, and stopped a few feet away from him. The sunlight filtering through the dense woods created a dim atmosphere, in the distance Harry could here the faint roar of moving water. She wandered over to a small elm tree and placed her hand against it. The air in front of him shimmered as the disillusion charm revealed a large bunker lodge into the side of the hill. Where the elm stood, a large iron door replaced it. "We're here," Ginny said as she opened the door and beckoned him to follow.

The hidden door opened into a cavernous, black abyss. The dim lights hanging above barely penetrated the darkness of the tunnel. Ginny started down the walkway and appeared to follow a familiar route that took them deeper into the subterranean labyrinth. Unsure of how long they had been walking, the shadows' movement in front of them caught his attention. When they approached, they came upon a scruffy blond wizard leaning against the wall. He glanced up and eyed Ginny before his eyes narrowed on Harry in which a smirk crossed his lips.

"Hey X, look who the cavalry brought in," he gestured towards Harry as a tall, tan wizard with dreaded black hair and bright green eyes stepped out of a room hidden in the darkness. He stared at them both then rested his gaze on Harry. "I guess we're in deeper shit than I thought," The thin scruffy wizard replied. "They've tapped the great Harry Potter."

"Shut it" the other wizard commanded in a deep voice as he walked towards them. "So it is true," He extended his arm and shook Harry's hand. "I'm Xavier," He gestured towards the wizard sulking behind him. "That's Anton, pay him no attention. We were-"

"Who found him?" Ginny pushed past Xavier towards the holding cell.

"Rowe tracked him down." Xavier gestured for Harry to follow them.

Ginny nodded and continued down the tunnel. "How long do I have?"

"Hang on," Xavier stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "You're going in there? I thought— you sure you want to do this?"

"Antares' orders."

"Of course Antares' will," he muttered. "I just thought you weren't cleared yet."

Ginny frowned, "Who have you been talking too?"

"It's not important, I know how the last year has been and-"

"How long do I have?" she cut him off.

"Merlin's beard just let her go" Anton complained from behind them. "You know nothing can stop her, she's just like Phoenix."

Xavier's sharp eyes cut at his colleague before he relented and stepped aside.

"Twenty minutes."

Ginny stood outside the door with a wistful expression on her face; she glanced briefly at Harry and entered the cell. Harry settled on a bench to watch through the two-way mirror as the interrogation commenced.

* * *

As the door closed behind her, Iago lifted his head from the crook of his arm, he grinned immediately at the witch in front of him. "Well, well, to what do I owe this honor?"

Ginny scraped the chair from under the table and sat down in front of him. "You tell me. I thought you went legit?"

Iago laughed, "You should know better than anyone, you can't teach an old dragon new tricks," he mused and rubbed the blond fuzz that covered his head.

"I see you're a blond now?" Ginny asked and leaned forward, "Looks like shite."

Iago's yellow eyes narrowed. "Why did they send you in?"

"They didn't," Ginny tossed her hair behind her, "I volunteered."

"Oh, aren't you a big witch now!" he mocked. "Doing your own interrogations all by yourself, my-my how Phoenix must be so proud. Finally stopped hiding behind her skirt I see."

"Shut it."

"Oh, did I hit a nerve? Tsk-tsk, maybe you still are Phoenix's lap dog and she just loosened the leash for one day."

"Cut the shite, Iago. You did not plead sanctuary to Kevin just so we could insult each other. What do you know?"

"Actually, when I ran into old Kev, I figured it was time for me to check in with the illustrious Infintari…I was a bit homesick. I miss you guys," he pouted maliciously.

Ginny leaned back. "You despise everything to do with the Infintari and after years of dissension, you all of a sudden plead sanctuary?" Ginny leaned across the table. "What has you running?"

Iago yellow eyes narrowed to thin slits. He leaned back in the chair with his arms crossed. "I see you're still following Phoenix's creed 'Trust no one, suspect everyone.'"

Ginny was growing impatient; her instinct told her Iago knew something, but what? She leaned across the table; a different approach could give her answers.

"I was told you've been in hiding since Leviathan disappeared, oh wait, I mean since he dodged your expert tracking skills while you were working undercover."

Iago's brow furrowed.

"The talented Iago, all those undercover operations, taking down all those high officials in Zagan's council and bringing them to justice," Ginny stood up from her chair and began to pace in front of him.

"Iago, the one who danced on the edge of both worlds with such ease and grace; you were the best the Infintari had to offer, the prodigal son and yet-" Ginny stopped and stood right next to him. "The single wizard you hunted your entire career slipped through your grasp?" She leaned forward and whispered into his ear. "Except I think that it was all lies and you double-crossed us to save your own hide because you knew the truth was going to expose your true nature" Ginny walked back across the table and sat down.

Iago yellow eyes bore into her. "Is that what you're here for, to insult me?" He rolled his eyes. "Is that what you've become, His replacement? You know Phoenix never went long without a lackey, you're filling Talon's shoes well."

Ginny gritted her teeth at the mention of the name.

"But I bet you only have five minutes left before they drag me off to the highest bidding embassy, so lets get to the point, what do you want?"

"Is Leviathan back?"

Iago smirked. "The body count is back on the rise again hmm? Let me let you in on something" he laughed and gestured for her to come closer. Ginny grudgingly leaned across the table as Iago whispered in her ear.

* * *

It happened so quickly that Harry could not react fast enough to stop Ginny from rearing her fist back and sending Iago's head snapping to the side. Xavier beat Harry to the door and barely had the door open when they saw Ginny bring her fist back for a second assault.

"Ginny!" Xavier stepped behind her and caught her arm. She snatched her arm out of his grasp and glared at the offensive wizard.

"I think you got in too deep, which made you a target, so you figured after years of hiding you plant yourself so we would get to you first and plead sanctuary; all just to save your own sorry arse before they got you."

He leaned back with a mocking grin and spat the blood from his mouth. "You can believe whatever you want Ginny, but now you know." He started laughing.

Ginny angrily pushed past both wizards and out the room. "Keep believing in those values Gin!" He laughed and spat out more blood. "The Infintari will get you far!" He started laughing again as Harry left the room to find Ginny.

Harry saw Ginny whip around the corner and down the halls at an unnatural speed. Harry ran after her retreating form. "Ginny! Ginny stop!" He chased after her until they were back outside in the mid-day lit forest. Harry quickened his strides and reached out to grab her robe when she disapparated right out of his grasp. "Damnit."

Harry heard the quick footsteps approach from behind him. "Where is she?"

"She's gone, she disapparated."

"Damnit," Xavier cursed from behind him. "I knew this wasn't a good idea."

"Good idea?" Harry rounded on the taller wizard. "What the hell happened in there? I want to know everything now!"

* * *

Harry pulled the car into park and with a sigh; he rested his head against the steering wheel, consumed with the day's events. He had spent the better half of the day crisscrossing across the Washington metropolitan area looking for Ginny. Anywhere that Ginny possibly frequented he went, each time turning up empty-handed. Five years ago after a day like today, he would be sitting in the Leaky Cauldron polishing off his second bottle of firewhiskey. A part of him wanted to find a welcoming seat with a drink, but Harry learned from history and he did not wish to repeat it.

Xavier had been slow to speak at first but after the first three hours, he began to open up. In any other situation, Harry might have enjoyed Xavier's company. He was a decent bloke and reminded him of Aurors he worked with back home but with the focus on finding Ginny, it made it impossible. They had decided to give it another couple of hours before notifying Antares. Xavier had assured him it was not uncommon for Ginny to disappear and had done so before. Harry reluctantly agreed and returned to Ginny's to wait.

Harry exited the car and walked up the steps to her row house. He removed the key Xavier had given him and opened the door. The house was dark with the setting sun's red rays tinting across the walls. He closed the door behind him and headed towards the kitchen. He was halfway there when he heard the floorboards creak above him. He darted over to the stairs and silently made his way up them. As he reached the landing, he noticed Ginny's bedroom door was slightly ajar. Harry walked down the hallway and carefully pushed it open. The setting sun was bathing the entire room in an auburn glow. He could see her empty bed to his right and a closed door he assumed led to the bathroom. He shifted his gaze to his left and saw a sitting chair facing a bay window. Harry stepped further into the room and noticed a freckled leg dangling over the armchair.

She must have sensed him enter the room, because she briefly sat up and glanced at him before settling back down into the chair.

"How long have you been here?" he asked.

"A while, I'll notify Xavier," she muttered and sunk further into the chair.

"What the hell happened back there?"

"What?" she sat up to face him.

"What the hell happened back there with Iago?" He walked over and sat on the window ledge in front of her.

She stared hard at him for a moment and shook her head. "I don't owe you an explanation."

He leaned in closer. "I spent the last several hours searching the city for you; I think I've earned an explanation."

"Where do you get the audacity- as acting senior officer I will make the decision on what you need to know," she leaned back in the chair, glaring at him. "I guess you know how it feels now, huh?"

The words slammed into Harry like a kick from a hippogriff. Harry stood up and started to leave.

"You know, I get it." He turned around. "I know we've had our issues in the past but you've gone out of your way to be difficult with me-"

"What did you expect Harry? You threw me aside without a second thought. Don't pretend that you give a damn now when you haven't in years!"

"I don't? If I didn't give a damn do you think I would've spent the last five hours criss-crossing the city looking for you?"

They air between them crackled with tension as both stared quietly daring the other to break the silence.

"I never intended to hurt you," he whispered. "I was-" he reached out to touch the jagged scar on her arm but stopped. "I never stopped Gin, never."

Ginny dropped her head and looked away. "You're about five years too late, Harry."

"I know," he answered and turned, leaving Ginny's room. "I know."

* * *

**"BAM!"**

Harry's eyes shot opened and glimpsed around the dark room. He didn't know how long he had been asleep but it couldn't have been long because it was still dark out. He pushed off the bed.

"_Lumos_," he muttered as he searched for the source of the disturbance.

After a few moments of silence he began to wonder if it had been a nightmare except he hadn't had one violent enough to wake him up in years. Harry's eyes landed on the ceiling when he heard the noise again, this time louder and mixed with muffle cries. He snatched his track pants and barely had them around his waist as he flew up the stairs towards Ginny's room. As he reached her door, an anguished scream met him. Harry banged on the door

"Gin?, Ginny!" but there was no response; He checked the door, it was locked.

"_Alohamora_" The room was pitch black as he rushed into the room. "Ginny?" he whispered. "Gin?"

The room was silent except for the soft muffled cries that guided him into the room. He moved quickly past a dark bathroom when the bed came into sight. It was empty. _Where is she?_ Harry stepped along the side of bed when he almost tripped over the bundle of sheets at his feet. She lay tangled in her dressing gown, kicking and struggling against an unseen force. Harry dropped to his knees and shook her. "Ginny! Ginny, wake up!"

"No, stop, you can't" she whimpered. She thrashed her arms and head erratically, almost smacking Harry in his jaw. He instinctively reached out to stop her again when she suddenly jolted upward and latched her hands onto his forearm. A molten electric heat shot up Harry's arm as he tried to pull it from her searing iron grip. He gave his arm two good tugs before Ginny's eyes rolled open, releasing him as she went careening into the floor. He snatched her up before she could hit the floor.

"Harry?"

He gently lowered her to the ground as he guarded his scaled arm. "I'm here."

She pushed herself up onto her weak forearms. "Why are you in my room?"

"I heard you screaming from downstairs."

Ginny groaned. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

Harry moved to sit next to her, "Don't apologize, I haven't been sleeping well lately."

Ginny eyes locked on the tangled mess of sheets at her feet. "I've always woken up before I hit the ground." She wrapped her arms around herself. "They're getting worse." she sighed and laid her head against her knees.

"What's getting worse?"

Ginny looked up, her eyes glistening. "I should be fine Harry, thanks."

"I could sleep in the chair," He offered.

Ginny shook her head, "No, it's not necessary. Get some rest, Harry."

Ginny rose from her seated position and waved her wand to remake her bed. Harry stood up and watched her for a minute before leaving the room. He hesitated with his hand on the doorknob and turned back towards Ginny. He sat down in chair and cleared his throat.

Her dark amber eyes landed on him, she looked so much younger yet her eyes told a different story.

"Did what happen with Iago trigger this?" he leaned towards her. "What did he say for you to attack him?"

Ginny's face fell and for the first time he saw how vulnerable she really was. "It's a long story."

"I'm not going anywhere," Hermione's words repeated in his mind.

"Please, Harry-I can't-" she whispered and sat down on her bed.

He hesitantly reached out and lightly laid his hand on her hand. She glanced at their hands and locked her gaze on him. He could see the inner conflict in her eyes as she pulled her hand away and leaned back against the bed frame. "It was a little over a year ago…"

* * *

Authors Note: Thanks again to my beta Adriane for her speedy editing. I would also like to thank those who have added this story to their alert list, I started this almost 5 yrs ago and seeing that it still interest people gives me the extra incentive to finish this story once and for all...that being said, the next three chapters are being worked on simultaneously and I really, really hope I don't let you guys down. Please read and review thanks,

Enygma


	8. Chapter 8: Recon

Edgedancer of Madness

By: Enygma1920

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters you recognize.

Chapter 8: Recon

_Late September_

The warm air whipped down the tree-lined path, cutting through the open window and stirring Ginny from her stupor. She lazily kicked her feet, jumping off the stool. Ginny walked and stood in front of the open window, stretching her arms above. "Bollocks," she muttered. Of course,she was stuck inside interpreting a tricky set of ancient runes for a case Sheppard delegated to her on the one nice autumn day. She glanced at the clock, it was ten past two; _they should be back any minute now_. Ginny surrendered to the obvious and grabbed her wand, robe and made her way to the Citadel.

She apparated gracefully to the front steps of the Citadel. Adjusting her robes, she headed directly towards the hub; the citadel's monitor deck. When she arrived the sprawling atlas with its blinking blue light and ticker message scrolling across the top and bottom greeted her. Every mission, detail and location of every active infintari member was registered on the atlas with a blinking blue light. During Zagan's campaign, almost every single continent in the southern hemisphere was ablaze in blue, but now it was half-empty with diminutive twinkling lights scattered across the map with Infintari members pursing the remnants of Zagan's operations. She ventured further into the room and saw the sole operator of the hub. The wizard glanced over and smiled. "I was wondering when you would show up."

Ginny jogged down the stairs. "Are they back yet?"

Jonas tapped his wand across the panel, tapping magical artifacts that caused the atlas to shift and zoom on a blinking light near the Romanian border. "Five minutes maybe." He tapped the panel again and the atlas returned to normal.

"Are you going down to meet them?"

Jonas shook his head. "I have four more missions to bring in." He waved his wand again over the panel "You're cleared for arrival," he announced as the blinking light near Romania disappeared and reappeared in the citadels location. "Tell my brother I'll catch him later." He smiled and waved Ginny away.

Ginny left Jonas behind her in the hub and made her way down towards the locker rooms. She was about to turn the last corner before reaching the locker room when angry voices met her.

"What the bloody hell was that about?"

Ginny crept around the corner to remain out of view. A short blond witch covered in dirt stood in front of Phoenix.

"What you did back there was totally out of line!"

"I had my orders." Phoenix stated.

"Damn your orders Phoenix, stop using orders as an excuse for taking suicidal risks." Nadia shouted.

"Ladies!" Talon stepped between the two witches. "Phoenix is the unit leader and we follow her orders."

"Oh don't give me that Talon. You can follow her orders and get yourself killed but I will have no part of it." Nadia turned and stormed off towards the locker rooms. Gabe stood up and followed her, leaving Xavier, Talon and Phoenix in the room.

Phoenix sat with her hands holding her head. Xavier glanced at Talon and leaned down to whisper to Phoenix. Phoenix snapped her head up and gave both wizards and incredulous look and began shouting at both of them in a rapid-fire language Ginny had only heard used when the witch was irate. She stormed off into the opposite direction, still cursing in her native language. Both wizards watched her leave; Xavier patted Talon on the shoulder and followed her. Looking discontented, Talon turned his gaze away and finally noticed Ginny at the bottom of the stairs.

A small smile crossed his face as he made his way over towards her. Talon pulled and wrapped his arms around her in a firm hug. "Can I tell you, you are the best thing to see after an assignment?" he sighed.

Ginny smiled against his chest. "Yes," she pulled back and looked up into his grimy face. Talon's handsome features were sullied with smudges of black dirt; his bright blue eyes were dull and tired. Ginny frowned; the missions were starting to take its toll on him. "What was that about?" she asked as she picked a stray leaf from his matted black hair.

"A lot," He murmured and pulled her into his lap as he sat down on bench. "I'm not looking forward to the debriefing tomorrow, but enough about that," Talon quickly changed the subject, a tactic he was becoming an expert at. "When do I get to meet my future in-laws?"

"Three days," She smiled. "I floo'd my mum earlier. Everything is set."

Talon stood up and place Ginny on her feet. "Good," he leaned down, kissing her. "Should I be nervous?"

Ginny smirked and grabbed his hand to lead him out of the lower chambers. "I wouldn't worry about my mum and dad so much; it's my brothers I would be more concerned with."

"Oh, yes. The infamous Weasley brothers I've heard so much about - can't wait," he laughed sarcastically.

"You'll be fine, I promise." Ginny laughed, "C'mon, let's get you cleaned up and I will discuss the finer points of the Weasley family over a hot meal and a glass of wine." She said and pulled Talon behind her as they headed off into the night.

_

* * *

_

_A Few Days Later_

Ginny pulled her sleeves up, ready to try the next diagnostic spell on the item of clothing in front of her. Just as she was about to flick her wrist, a searing - yet familiar - sensation tingled across her lower back. "Damnit," she muttered while lowering her wand to her back to end the summoning charm. She jumped off her stool and grabbed her cloak before exiting the lab. She popped her head into the clutter office of her co-worker. "Ziggy, I'm off to do research for a diagnostic spell."

An older wizard with shabby blond hair looked up from his desk. "The ones I gave you didn't work?"

Ginny shook her head.

"Okay, just come back tomorrow, I might need your assistance on identifying this plant pollen."

"Makuxi or Santiago?"

"Santiago," He answered, summoning another set of slides for examination. "I'll see you tomorrow Weasley."

"Bye, Ziggy." Ginny left the office behind her and activated a port-key once she was out of sight. Ginny landed and adjusted her cloak as she entered the Citadel. Just as Ginny turned the final corner, she came upon Talon sitting on a bay window seat.

"Hey."

Talon glanced at her. "Hey,"

Ginny walked over towards him and noticed a lost look in his blue eyes. "I thought you were meeting with Kohani today?"

"I was but he was called away on a lead; figured I'd hang out for awhile. I thought you were at your office today?"

"I was but I was summoned."

Talon frowned.

"I have a feeling it has something to do with the possible connection I discovered between Makuxi and the new cases Sheppard is working."

"The two witches?" He stood up and moved towards her. "How come this is the first time I'm hearing about it?"

"Because you have a tendency of tuning the world out when you come home and watch that muggle sports channel." She teased. "Besides it's classified. First rule of the Infintari."

"Un-huh classified," he smirked and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Come on, or we break the second rule of the Infintari." He pulled her, jogging down the corridor towards the core.

The core was the nucleus of the citadel and the west branch of the infintari. The first time Ginny walked into the room, it was awe-inspiring. The room was colossal; shelves lined the stone walls, which held a collection of every type of weaponry possible and prototypes of objects no muggle or wizard could even imagine. At the heart of the room was a large wooden table where every summit held in the citadel occurred. Ginny entered the room behind Talon and immediately became aware from the gathering that this was not a typical summit.

As she took her seat next to Nadia, Ginny noted that the atmosphere was subdued by muted conversations. Talon sat down next to Dimitri, a short mousey, bleary-eyed curse breaker as he held a deep conversation with an American Auror, Anton. Anton ran a hand through the short blond spikes covering his head and threw a steely glare at Phoenix. Phoenix sat glowering back at Anton while Xavier's hazel eyes shifted between the two before he distracted Phoenix with a question. A chuckle drew Ginny's attention to her left as Gabriel and Ziven shared a private joke. Gabe winked at Ginny while Ziven grinned and began changing his hair color at will. Nadia shook her head disapprovingly at the duo and returned to the silent interaction she was having with her closest allies Jonas and Rapture. A side-door opened, Kenjiro and Noelani entered and were the last to settle into their seats.

The main door opened and all quiet conversation came to a halt once he entered. Antares settled at the head of the table.

"The reason I have gathered all active Infintari here is because Michael Sheppard has just informed me that he is going inactive."

"Whoa," Ginny heard Gabe whisper. "He's the last one I thought would go inactive."

"His wife is pregnant with their third child," Rapture murmured.

"Although Shepard will be missed, I would like to take this opportunity to announce his predecessor and who will be taking over his cases, Miss Ginerva Weasley."

Loud whoops and cries erupted from the table. "Yeah Ginny!" Kohani yelled and clapped his hands. Phoenix smiled and nodded in her direction. Talon clapped his hands the loudest and winked at her. Ginny grinned. "It was during her work with Sheppard that Miss Weasley discovered evidence that could link the two Jane Does to Makuxi."

"Miss Weasley, if you please."

Ginny's eyes widened. "Oh, right." She had prepared her personal files just in case Antares had called on her to speak. She pulled the file out and opened it, clearing her throat. "Yes, well, while I was reviewing the Jane Does case, I noticed a similarity between an earlier investigation." An image of a smiling witch materialized above the table.

"Zelda Ramos" Kohani muttered. "The young Makuxi witch, they ruled it a homicide. Always thought it was retaliation against the work her family did for muggle village next to Makuxi."

Gabe grimaced. Ginny was aware Gabe had never gotten over the unsolved case.

"What did you find Gin?" Talon asked with a small nod, bringing the attention back to Ginny.

"A sample of pollen." The image changed into a non-descript pale pink flower. "The pollen I found was in her hair; it was cataloged in the first investigation but didn't mean anything until I found the exact same pollen in a higher quantity on the first Jane Doe."

"I remember that pollen sample. We couldn't identify it at the time," said, Gabe.

"Well, we couldn't until a couple of weeks ago when I came upon a spell, and with some modifications I was able to identify the pollen as a hybrid. It's a cross between devil's snare and _Acinetas superba._ The combination of the Aggression Orchid and Devil's Snare actually narrows the field to wizarding communities in the tropics."

The image of a globe appeared with dozen of marked sites south of the equator.

"Hang on, but I thought Devil's Snare prefers dark damp environments?" Ziven questioned.

"Not when it's crossed with the Aggression Orchid; it thrives under the filtered light of a dense rainforest canopy and behaves more aggressively than regular Devil's Snare."

"Great, another damn plant for muggles to stumble across, think they would have learned from the Venus flytrap debacle," Rapture muttered.

"I narrowed the search more with research in specific wizarding communities that were known to experiment in herbology or had the capabilities to do so." The map shifted again to several marked areas on the South American panhandle.

Rapture stood up and spun the map around with her wand. "There are at least ten marked sites, is there any way to narrow your search further?"

Ginny shook her head. "Technically no, but the size and amount of pollen found all three women can be closely analyzed. When Zelda Ramos was held, the plants were immature and the first generation of the hybrid mix, while the second pollen sample is mature and at least a sixth or seventh generation hybrid." Ginny swished her wand leaving only two marked sites. "I will have the third samples results in the morning.

"What's your gut instinct, Weasley?" Phoenix spoke for the first time.

"It's either Makuxi or the Guyana village, both villages had the resources and are slowly being reclaimed by the forest."

"I agree, especially since Makuxi is still under quarantine. The Guyana village is the next logical choice. I will be sending a guyanan team to recon the remains of the site for any new evidence. A neighboring village has reported a colony of Yuan-tis possibly inhabiting the village ruins."

A textbook image of a half-human, half-snake Yuan-ti came into her thoughts.

"Besides the Guyana team, another team will be heading to Colombia. Mr. Blackhawk has sent intelligence from one in his network regarding Adriano Toro and Zachary Listener."

The dark sneering Adriano Toro and the menacing Zachary Listener stared at them from their wanted posters. The two high-ranking members of Zagan's army had become virtual ghost after Zagan's regime collapsed.

"The team heading to Colombia will be Xavier, Anton, Noelani, Kenjiro, Rapture and Ziven, the team heading to Guyana will be Phoenix, Talon, Gabriel, Nadia, Dimitri and Ginny. Both will leave in the morning."

With a wave of his hand, a flight of dossiers soared over and landed in front of each of them.

"Now let us begin the debriefing."

* * *

It had been a few minutes since Antares called the meeting to a close and had left the room. Ginny remained seated at the table receiving pats on the back and warm congratulations on her promotion.

"Fantastic work, Ginny," Nadia gave her old roommate a strong hug.

Gabe quickly stepped between them and picked Ginny up swinging her around.

"Modifying a spell?" he smiled and put her back down. "I always said you were brilliant."

"Just remember me when its time to fill your old position." Ziven joked, following Gabe out of the room.

"I knew there was something special about you when I first met you." Talon whispered into her ear as he stepped next to her. "Sounds like another announcement when we visit your family in two weeks."

Ginny smiled.

"Congratulations Ginny." Phoenix stood with her hand held out. Ginny shook it. "You've earned it, good work Weasley." She turned her attention towards Talon. "Make sure she gets her rest, need both of you in top form in the morning. Celebrate another day," she winked at them and laughed as she walked away with Xavier and Jonas.

"I can't promise that," Talon joked. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Come on," Ginny placed her hand in Talons. "Let's go home."

* * *

"Ready?"

Ginny lifted her eyes to Talon standing next to her.

"Yep," Ginny rose from her seat and turned towards Talon to receive her pack. The weight of the pack caused Ginny's knees to give for a second before Talon performed a feather-light charm.

"Okay people," Phoenix moved towards the middle of the aircraft, "We will be reaching our drop off point in thirty minutes. We will be port-keying in groups of two, from the drop off point it will be a day hike into the jungle. The terrain will be rugged so perform the necessary charms. It is a one-day hike to the ruins, we need to be in and out unseen and as swiftly as possible." Phoenix eyed Gabe. "Talon will be second in command." She nodded towards Talon, "Once we reach the ruins, the first team will be Nadia, Talon and Dimitri since all of you can speak draconic and will be a better envoy to the Yuan-ti if we should encounter them. Ginny, Gabe and myself will be your back up should anything go wrong." Phoenix removed her wand and tapped it on her shoulder. "_Stimulare Adovare Lux_" she chanted. Ginny could feel a cool sensation dance across her back. "Tracer's activated," Phoenix gave the group one last look over and spoke again. "Any questions?"

No one in the group moved, "Excellent. Prepare for drop off." The group disbursed into their corners to do personal pre-mission rituals. Ginny had not developed any complicated rituals yet like some of the others on her team. She sat down on a nearby crate and began to shoot gold sparks from her wand. She began a controlled-breathing exercise Hermione had taught her to focus and block nervous energy. Ginny's concentration was broken when the hatch to the aircraft opened. "Drop off is in sight," Phoenix yelled over the roar of the rushing air from the open hatch, "Let's head em' up and move em' out people!" They all stood up and lined up in their pair teams. Nadia and Dimitri were the first to go. Ginny grabbed the port-key with Gabe next and was whisked away to the jungle floor.

The air was sticky and for once Ginny envied Phoenix's short hair while hers was shellacked to her neck. The six of them trudged up a complicated path on the side of a mountain with Phoenix in the lead. Ginny could feel her feet ache; the dragon hide boots were pinching her with every step she took up the hill. She would not guess how far they had gotten or how long they had been hiking. All the miles and hours blended into one tedious march. Talon looked back at the sluggish troops and signaled for a break. Ginny happily obliged and sat down on the ground. She removed her canteen and took a sip of water.

"How ya holding up?"

"I'm okay."

Gabe nodded, "Ever dealt with Yuan-tis?"

Ginny shook her head. "No, dealt with small vampire communities in Australia; had an interesting encounter with a Rakshasa."

"No shit, a Rakshasa?" Gabe shook his head in disbelief. "I thought anything besides their own they hated."

"The one I met was young and injured; he had no choice but to trust me."

Gabe opened his mouth posed to speak when Phoenix's voice cut through the humid air.

"We're about ten miles outside the ruins, we should arrive by nightfall. Be aware there might be anti-magical wards set up and traps." Dimitri nodded and cracked his knuckles.

Talon's blue eyes scanned the group before resting on Ginny. "Be prepared for anything; let's move out."

Gabe offered Ginny a hand and lifted her to her feet. As they tromped deeper into rainforest, Ginny ignored the odd feeling her stomach. _Just nerves_, she chided herself as she marched behind the others.

* * *

"Quiet," Phoenix hissed. "_Occulus Noche_, now."

Ginny performed the charm and the dark surrounding jungle became visible. They had arrived at the ruins earlier than expected. The first envoy had entered the outer ruins and found them empty of any Yuan-tis but discovered a forgotten building swallowed by jungle outside the ruins, protected by extensive magical wards and traps. After some debate it was decided to focus on breaking the wards on the forgotten building, sending a small scout team deeper into the ruins while the others kept watch. Ginny, assigned to the third team, crawled over and settled into a ditch next to Gabe. "How's it looking?"

"So far so good, Dimitri was able to break through two of the wards. We have some use of our wands now," Gabe whispered back.

They sat there in silence watching Dimitri break another ward effortlessly.

"How many more wards?"

"I can't tell, there are multiple overlays, I haven't seen anything this complicated in years," Dimitri repositioned himself and began working on the next ward.

"Is it me," Gabriel whispered. "Or does this seem just a little too easy?"

"Quiet!" Phoenix hissed as Nadia and Talon emerged from their survey of the southern side of the ruins.

"Anything?"

"Nothing, no signs of Ginny's hybrid plant, no sign's of Yuan-tis, just abandoned ruins," Nadia reported.

"Well if there were Yuan-tis they haven't inhabited the ruins in a while. Whatever scared them off, I don't want to be here when it returns." Talon muttered.

"Why?" Ginny asked.

"If something caused a powerful race like the Yuan-ti to panic, think about what it could do to us?" Ginny grimaced; Talon had a point.

The minutes ticked by and Dimitri continued to silently work on the wards.

"There is one more; it is more complicated than the last. If I break this we will be able to explore the temple and have more use of our wands." Dimitri said.

"This whole situation seems suspicious." Nadia muttered, "I say lets get the hell out of here."

"I second that," Gabe chimed in. "This place is giving me the creeps, not to mention our wands are borderline useless."

Ginny shivered, something wasn't right, her eyes darted over to the trees on her left she couldn't see anything, she hastily removed her night vision charm and her blood ran cold. There were black shadows moving in the trees surrounding them. A solid black mass dropped down behind Talon, swelling in size, rearing back in attack.

"_Stupify_!"

An ear-piercing shriek cut through the jungle as a swarm of shadows engulfed them. Talon brandished his wand and yelled, "Ambush!"

The blackness of the jungle night was making it virtually impossible to detect the nightwalkers attacking them. Streams of yellow and red curses whizzed past Ginny's head, she ducked back behind the tree "_Lumos Maximus__._" A whip of light swelled out of her wand and cracked at the nightwalker bearing down on her. The nightwalker lashed back, uprooting the tree she had just been hiding behind; she screamed and landed awkwardly against another tree. Nadia landed in front of her; her face bloodied and unconscious. Gabe was sending rapid-fire streams of white lights at the nightwalker that knocked Nadia out.

Ginny scrambled over to Nadia, "_Innervate!_" Nadia lurched up but remained unconscious. "_Innervate!, Innervate_!" she screamed vain attempts to revive Nadia. She scanned the area for any help and saw Phoenix in a losing duel with a sizeable nightwalker but Talon and Dimitri were nowhere in sight. Her heart started to throb against her chest, _Where is he? He has to be okay_.

An icy blast rushed over Ginny as her body began to convulse violently. The stinging chill penetrated into her bones and unleashed wave after wave of agonizing torture. She felt her mind slowly losing it grips on reality when the freezing chill lifted. "Ginny, get up now!"

Ginny's eyes shot open, Talon stood over her, covered in soot, "Get up Gin!"

Ginny scrambled to her feet, Talon's eyes were wild, and he held a limp body of Phoenix across his shoulders. Gabe ran towards her carrying Nadia on his shoulders, He opened his mouth to yell but the sound never came out.

A pulse of air pushed through the jungle followed by a bright green light. Ginny never knew what hit her as she felt herself being lifted off her feet. The last thing she saw was Talon reaching for her as an icy curtain engulfed them and emptied them into a void.

* * *

The morning sunlight filtered gently through the Venetian blinds, the room was quiet except for the soft lull of steady breathing. Sunrises were without a doubt one of Ginny's favorite times of the day. She had watched many sunrises over the years, and if she thought about it long enough, she could probably remember every single one. Ginny sat in her plush armchair, watching the indigo hues of night slowly recede from the horizon as the break of soft rose and gold rays conquered the aurora sky.

The only difference from her normal sunrise routine was the slumbering wizard sprawled across the end of her bed. Ginny watch him stir slightly as she leaned forward, removing his crooked glasses and placing them on the side table. Last night's nightmare had been much worst than previous ones. Usually when she woke from it she could faintly remember what the dream consisted of, but it was so vivid she had awoken Harry. Ginny grimaced as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the chair. She had done exactly what she swore she would never do again. Let him in. _What was I thinking?_ She wondered. It was bad enough that she breeched Infintari confidentiality but why she chose to confide to Harry this time troubled her.

"Damn it, bollocks, shite, shite, shite."

Ginny hastily stood up and began to pull out her running gear. She needed to get her head straight; Harry knew too much to keep his distance now and a detached attitude would only drive his curiosity. Ginny tied and knotted the scarf at the nape of her neck. She pushed her feet into her trainers and quietly exited the room. She jogged down the stairs and exited the house. As she ran down the street, she wasn't sure where she was headed but only knew she needed a strategy before she could face Harry again.

Harry awoke to an empty house. As he made his way down to the guest room, his thoughts were on Ginny. He had mixed emotions about what happened. A part of him was angry she was in such a hazardous position but another part of him had a stronger respect and admired her tenacity. The whole experience did answer a few questions Harry had, but did raise others. He spent the remainder of the morning lost in thought as he prepared for their port-key back to the Citadel. He jumped when he heard the front door ricochet open.

"Harry?"

Harry walked out into the living room and spotted Ginny muttering to herself as she threw files into a file box.

"Harry!" she called out and ran up the stairs, returning with a stack of files. "Where is he?" she muttered. "Harry!"

"Gin?"

Ginny startled and her eyes narrowed. "How long? Never mind." She began to summoning more items and putting them into the same file box. "There's been a change in plans."

"What?"

"Ron has a lead, we're going to Blackpool."

"Blackpool? When?"

Ginny stopped in front of him. "Now."

She ran past him back up the stairs. Harry returned to his room and put on his Auror robes, grabbing his rucksack. Ginny returned a minute later with her wet hair tied into a loose knot, pulling her robes on. She shrunk the file box, placed it into her side bag, and quickly performed the security charms on the house. "Ready?"

Harry glanced to see Ginny holding a book towards him.

"Yeah," Harry stood and swung his rucksack over his shoulder and placed his hand on the book. He felt a strong pull behind his naval as they traveled towards Blackpool.

* * *

The blaring ring of a phone tore through the pre-dawn ambience of the apartment. After the third ring, the person in question grudgingly brought the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" her voice hoarse from sleep; then her eyes shot open. "Oh hey, what can I do for you?" she kicked the sheets off her legs and stumbled to her desk.

She turned on a light and began scribbling on a pad. "Uh-huh, uh-huh, okay, okay" she spun around her room and grabbed the nearest bag then began to quickly stuff clothes in it. "When?" she asked, standing silently. "Do you think that's possible?" When the voice on the other end answered, she began shoving clothes faster into her bag. "Okay, I'm leaving now." She nodded her head vigorously, causing her ponytail to bob. "Okay, bye."

She placed the receiver back down and stood motionless in the middle of her room. "Shit!" she whispered as she pressed back her bangs and began to frantically dash around the apartment. She ran a mental checklist though her head as she headed towards the door. The last thing she grabbed was her wand as closed the door on her disturbed slumber.

* * *

A/N: The Yuan-tis, Nightwalkers and Rakshasa can be found in the book: _A practical guide to Monsters_ by Mirrorstone Books. This chapter was inspired by a personal experience in a paint-ball game.

Thanks to my beta Adriane for her speedy editing

I probably promised more answers in this chapter but had to move around scenes to make it flow, but don't please read and review, can't tell you how much it inspires me to write when I see people reviewing and adding my little story to their alerts. I'm eternally indebted to you all.

Please Read/Review


	9. Chapter 9: Seeking Clarity

Edgedancer of Madness

By: Enygma1920

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters you recognize.

Chapter 9: Seeking Clarity

* * *

"What exactly do you reckon they are looking for?"

"Not sure, Earl," Bruce leaned forward against the rail. "Funny bunch this lot, been hanging around since they found that woman on the beach last week."

"Think they work for MI-5?"

Bruce shrugged. "Syd reckons they work for the CIA."

"You know, this all reminds me of that story Harold kept rattling on about a few years back…about those blokes skulking around on his property in black hoods – "

"Shooting laser guns at each other and teleporting?" Earl laughed.

"The Illuminati, he swore. A bit too much Doctor Who and pints, if you ask me."

Bruce and Earl continued at Harold's expense and were laughing so hard- it took them a minute to notice the two men waiting in front of them.

"Excuse us, sirs. We were wondering if you could be of assistance."

"Sorry lads, having a bit of a laugh," Bruce chuckled. "Who are you?"

"We're with the Royal Geological Survey team," replied the taller one. "We're following up on the beach erosion near the North Pier. We've been walking for a while and wanted to double check to see if we're headed in the right direction?"

"Beach erosion, eh? It's half a kilometer away in that direction," Bruce pointed.

"You guys aren't from these parts, are you?" said Earl.

The shorter one laughed. "What gave us away?"

* * *

"Well, that's the last time I delegate to Wilson to obliviate anyone," Harry muttered. He signaled the remaining teams to begin packing it up.

"That's what you said last time. Wilson's spellwork is subpar," Ron replied as they left Bruce and Earl sitting happily dazed on a bench. "Don't know why you keep thinking he'll surprise you one day..."

"You're right," Harry answered. "I'll mention it to Kingsley. I don't know how he got through the Academy."

"He was top in his class at stealth and tracking. That easily makes up for shoddy spell work. Are you heading back?"

Harry nodded. "I have to drop off some files to Ginny and get started on today's report. She wants a briefing first thing tomorrow morning."

"She still at St. Mungos?"

"Yeah, She's been there the majority of the time. Hermione reckons she's hasn't been home –" Harry stopped mid-sentence, he watched his friend with mild trepidation. "Speaking of Hermione…"

"Kingsley took me off tonight's shift," Ron started, ignoring Harry. "Got the afternoon free. Reckon I'll go to the flat and catch the Cannons match on the wireless."

Harry shook his head; deciding to keep his thoughts to himself. Four days ago when Harry arrived home to Ron sleeping on his sofa, Harry didn't bother to question him. He knew Ron would eventually talk to Hermione. Knowing his mate when it comes to his emotions, stubbornness outweighs the others, including logic; especially when it came to Hermione.

"Right. Mind if I head back now and you finish up here?"

"No worries, I know how Ginny can get about her reports."

Harry slapped Ron on his shoulder and began to jog towards the closest apparition point.

"See you at the flat for the game?"

Harry turned and waved a 'yes' and left Ron and the crew behind him.

* * *

"Blimey," Hermione flicked her quill to get the ink flowing again. Exasperated, she threw the broken quill into the bin. That was the fourth quill she had ruined that day, and after that last one, Hermione pushed the stack of spells she was cataloging and picked up a forgotten Daily Prophet on her desk.

"Italian Ambassador's Daughter Found in Blackpool! ALIVE!"

The picture underneath showed a young woman escorted by a team of ministry Aurors. She hid her face behind a curtain of tangled black hair, but every few steps her dark hollow eyes would pierce through, unsettling Hermione. Ginny was the only person granted access outside of the Healer team to examine the young witch. She hadn't heard from Ginny since Harry and Ron's initiation. However, she did send an intra-department memo, asking her to research an incantation origin and briefly mentioned she had several more interviews and examinations before she would be done and not to worry. In truth, she couldn't be more worried.

Prior to the Institute, Ginny's work ethic was less severe and more forgiving. While Hermione admired her perseverance, she finally understood why Ron was moody those weeks he had worked alongside Ginny.

A hollow sadness pulled at her as her thoughts drifted towards Ron. As she expected, Ron was furious after the meeting with Antares. They'd had some spectacular rows over the years, but the row they had that night surpassed them all and ended with Hermione in tears and Ron walking out. He couldn't comprehend the reason behind the secrecy as part of her position within the Infintari; he perceived it as a personal betrayal against him. He was angry about the deception of her involvement with the Infintari and when Hermione tried to explain her actions, he left. That was the last she had heard from or saw him.

A light knock on the door brought her back from her thoughts; she hastily dabbed the tears away and cleared her throat.

"Yes?"

A familiar American witch poked her head into the office. "I hope I'm not interrupting you."

Hermione shook her head, "I think I've done all I can do for today." She pushed the stack of spells away. "Please come in."

The witch entered her office with rolls of parchment under one arm and two heavy books under the other and proceeded to settle down across from her.

Hermione took noticed of the haphazard appearance of Ginny's assistant. "Sasha, you look – "

"Tired?" she laughed quietly.

Sasha, Ginny's assistant, arrived three days after Ginny had returned from the States. It seemed that since her arrival she hadn't stopped working on a project that Ginny deemed important enough to summon her in the middle of the night.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

"I initially stopped in to see if you have a copy of 'Conquering Ancient Arthmancy' and 'Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms', but a change of scenery is nice too," she smiled.

"Well trust me, a change is always refreshing, especially from those dank labs in the catacombs." Hermione reached into the full book case behind her and pulled out the two books in question. "Depending on what you're working on, I have a few Arithmancy and Ancient Runes texts in my personal collection that could be of some help."

"Thanks," Sasha said. "My reference texts aren't cutting it for this project."

Hermione frowned. "May I?"

"Sure," she handed Hermione one of the parchments.

Hermione quickly glanced over the parchment. "This is…impressive, and a reach at that."

She flipped through the papers. "I thought this was your expertise?"

Sasha smiled. "It is, but if you could see the set she placed on my desk this morning… I've only translated something this difficult in theory." She leaned back against the armchair, closing her eyes. "Potter said the same thing when he saw the runes."

"Harry?" She looked up. "When did you see him?"

"About an hour ago; he dropped off some paperwork for Ginny."

"I didn't think they would be done in Blackpool so early." Hermione had only seen Harry in passing in the last week.

"He's been a real help, staying late and helping me go through all the back files Ginny had me bring over."

_The back files?_ That struck Hermione as odd.

"Does Ginny know he's helping you?"

"He was there in the office the night I arrived." She shrugged. "I assumed Ginny sent him."

Hermione frowned but turned "You mentioned he left already. Did he say where he was going?"

"No, although he did ask if I'd seen Phoenix recently."

"Phoenix?"

"Yeah, I didn't think he even knew who she was, but I told him I hadn't seen her in over a month." Sasha began to gather up the books and parchments. "She's probably overseas on assignment for one of those security companies she's always consulting for." Sasha stood up. "I should get going; I promised myself I'd sleep in a bed and not my desk tonight." She walked towards the door. "I'll make sure to return your books as soon as I'm done."

"No rush," Hermione replied as she met Sasha at the door. "If you're still having trouble, don't hesitate to owl me."

Sasha nodded and left the office. Hermione sat back behind her desk surveying the piles of work she still had to finish. _What is Harry up to?_ She wondered. _And why would he be looking for Phoenix?_ Hermione hadn't heard from her since the night of the initiation but doubted she was unaware of what was going on. Phoenix had an omnipotent quality about her, which Hermione found both amusing and curious at times. She broke away from her thoughts while looking at the mountains of work before her; when her eyes caught on something. Hermione reached across her desk and removed an old thin book from its cornerstone. It was the book; Phoenix had given her that day at the Sanctuary. She weighed her options, took one last glance at her work and packed up for the day. Hermione stepped out of her office, closing the door behind her.

"Did you finally locate the origin of those defensive charms?" Hermione's assistant asked from behind her own stacks of parchment.

"Not yet Stephanie. I'm leaving early today."

"What?" Stephanie's head shot into view. "Is everything okay?"

Hermione nodded. "I have a side project I've been neglecting and I need to finish it." She stopped. "I don't expect any calls so, take the rest afternoon off too."

Stephanie smiled and began to quickly pack up. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I will be…I just need a distraction. I'll see you tomorrow, Steph." Hermione left her bewildered assistant behind her and headed out into the afternoon sun, hoping to clear her thoughts.

* * *

Harry walked down the citadel hallway. He made the three rights and the left that would lead him to the monitor deck. He reached his destination and pushed through the oak doors. The expansive room was empty of others except the lonely sentinel at the center console, Jonas. The wizard sat there directing the atlas stretched across the room to shift and zoom over different parts of the world. He stopped the map over a small section of the pacific with a faint pulsing blue light. Harry cleared his throat; Jonas hastily zoomed out the atlas and turned towards Harry.

"Potter, what brings you to my corner of the world?"

Harry walked down the steps and joined Jonas at the console. "I need your help."

Jonas looked at him with curiosity, "With what?"

"I need to find Phoenix."

"Can't."

He pointed at the atlas. "You can locate any member of the Infintari with it, right?"

Jonas nodded. "All active members…"

Harry could already hear the 'except' coming.

"Except those that don't want to be found. Look," Jonas turned away from the console and pulled up the sleeve on his left arm. Harry saw an artistic tattoo of two fighting dragons covering his upper arm. He fixed the atlas location and Harry saw two pulsing lights he knew identified them.

"_Finite Incantume Advocare Nox__,_" the second light instantly disappeared off the map.

"You can turn off the location spell?"

"Yes and No, You can turn it off but there are stipulations. It can only be turned on or off inside this room and can only be done by myself and Antares."

"Does everyone know this?"

"No, only a select few that needed to have their tracer deactivated due to special circumstances."

"Phoenix included?"

Jonas nodded.

"And you know where she is?"

"Not exactly, she is reachable. Problem is, I don't know to which of her places she's headed."

Harry turned and looked at the atlas. "Unplottable?"

"Yeah, she likes her privacy…it's more paranoia, in my opinion. But then again, with her type of work and experiences, it makes sense." He muttered to himself.

"How many places?"

"Seven."

"Damn," Harry turned around to face Jonas. "Any ideas?"

"A few. She may like her privacy, but she is a creature of habit and usually after a arduous assignment she goes to one of three places. I can get you close to the sites with a port-key; just a thirty-three percent chance if you're right or not."

Jonas leaned back in the chair. "What's this about, anyway?"

"D.C."

"I heard Ginny got reprimanded for her behavior, but what does Phoenix have to do with it?"

Harry's green eyes stared hard at Jonas. _He's more like his brother than I thought_. "She was Ginny's mentor. I just want her opinion on the situation."

Jonas nodded as he walked to the cabinet that held the portkeys. He reached in and pulled out a small obsidian rock. "_Portus_, I have a feeling she went to the most secure one. If you're able to get through and she isn't there, I've put a returning spell on it. Only needs reactivation." He handed the stone to Harry. "If you do find her, I'll warn you, she's not going to be happy."

"Thanks, I appreciate it," Harry went to stand in the departure area.

Jonas nodded and waved him away. There was a strong pull behind his navel, and then Harry was off in search of Phoenix.

* * *

Ginny's nose picked up a scent that recalled the memories of innocence. "Wet grass and Dragon dung manure," she whispered as she trudged up the hill towards her destination.

Once there, she poked her head into the first two dwellings before finally locating her friend in the third greenhouse. She smiled as Neville's face contorted into one of pure concentration as he sat and pruned a flutterby bush.

"Hem-Hem."

Neville turned around. Long gone was the short, chubby-faced Gryffindor that trampled Ginny's poor feet at the Yule Ball. Sitting there, grinning was an older, taller and fitter Neville Longbottom that even his younger self wouldn't have recognized. Neville stood up and dusted himself off before pulling her into a strong hug. He pulled away to look at her. "Ginny Weasley," he muttered. "What dragged you in?"

She squeezed him, ignoring the scent of Dragon dung that lingered on his clothes. "I just thought I'd stop by and see how an old Gryffindor was doing? How is Luna?"

Neville guided her to an empty workbench and sat down. "Luna is doing well, for a pregnant witch." He removed his dragon hide gloves revealing large, worn hands. "I always anticipated that her Lunacies would get worse with pregnancy, but she's almost normal!" he laughed. "Well, what's normal for Luna, that is."

Ginny laughed. "That's great, I'm so excited for you two. Remember Auntie Ginny is only a floo away."

"I'll make sure to remember that when I'm worn out from the five in the morning feeds. Only a floo away eh? I assume this means your back?"

"You can say that."

Neville tilted his head to the side, inspecting her with his hazel eyes. "Last time we spoke you mentioned it would take a herd of hippogriffs to drag you back. Besides, I heard a rumor that you were back."

Ginny's eyes widened. "From whom?"

"Dean. Said he overheard some things in his department and knew sooner or later you would be back in England." Neville ribbed her, almost causing her to fall off the bench. "By the way, I know this isn't a friendly visit; business brought you here today."

Ginny watched him pick up a pair of shears and begin pruning the next Flutterby Bush. _Leave it to Neville to see through my pitiful visage_. "Your always right."

Neville turned back. "I know." He grinned. "So, I'll ask again. What can I do for you today?"

"Is your office secure?"

"Follow me." Neville led her through a glass windowpane that she didn't remember the previous Herbology Professor Sprout entering or exiting. Ginny entered what she assumed was his office. It looked like a smaller version of the greenhouses, except there were oak walls that reached up to a mid point with a glass ceiling over them. Neville's desk was situated across from a greenhouse tray that was filled with plants that Ginny didn't recognize, except for the Mimbus mimletonia planted in a far corner. Ginny settled onto a nearby stool while Neville sat on top of his desk. "The students are at lunch and I don't have the third year Gryffindors and Slytherins for another hour."

Ginny pulled a plastic evidence bag out of her rucksack and handed it to Neville. "I've been working on a case for the past three years. I can't disclose much information, but in your hand is what little evidence we were able to collect from the bodies. I've run tests on them and I can't find anything of value –"

"Then why bring them here?" He interrupted.

Ginny sighed. "I'm at a standstill in the case and I need your expertise."

"I'll look at it, Ginny, but I have to know what I'm looking for in order to help you."

"I know, which is why," she pulled a thin folder from her bag and handed it over. "I'm giving you this. In there you will find the descriptions of the victims and the surrounding vicinity in which they were discovered. I'm breaking multiple security policies by coming to you, but I can't shake the feeling that I've missed something very important."

"I'll do it for you Gin, but I have to ask; can I consult with Professor Pamphilos if the results reveal anything I'm not familiar with?"

_At this point I have nothing to lose but my sanity_, thought Ginny. "Yes, I am familiar with his expertise in diagnostic potions."

"I'll get to work on this tonight." He placed the file in the top drawer of his desk and sealed it. "Now, how are you holding up?"

Ginny stared at his heavy eyes for a moment. "I'm okay." She smiled but it failed to reach her eyes.

"Dean mentioned something else, but I'm finding it hard to believe."

"What's that?"

"You're working with Potter."

Ginny sat back. She didn't want to crack; but something about being around Neville made her loose all of her steel resolve. She couldn't even muster a reply and instead looked away.

"That good, huh?"

"Yeah."

Neville stood up and sat next to her. "What happened?"

"Nothing, he's just being Harry."

"Really?" Neville seemed surprised. "By doing what?"

"Well – " she hesitated.

Neville must have noticed the desperation in her eyes because he stopped her with a smile and didn't press the subject further; instead he began telling her about his adventures of being a professor at Hogwarts. Ginny wiped a tear away after Neville finished a rather animated tale of catching two sixth years in a compromising position in a discrete corridor in the astronomy tower.

"Did you dock points?" she asked between her fits of giggles.

"I had to! They left me no choice. I was just as embarrassed as they were!" Neville laughed. "Imagine the looks on their faces when they saw me turn the corner."

Ginny threw her head back and howled with laughter. "Who would have thought, a Ravenclaw and a Hufflepuff?" she laughed.

"Indeed, I married a Ravenclaw, but never suspected a Hufflepuff. It's always the quiet ones…" He joked.

Ginny laughed harder and proceeded to have a coughing fit. Neville patted her back and conjured a glass of water of Ginny to sip. "I forgot how innocent and mischievous those years were."

"Gin, if I recall correctly, you were hardly innocent. I remember that one time…"

Ginny choked on her water and began to wave her hands frantically. "Please, I do not need a trip down hormonal memory lane!"

"Right," Neville laughed, but stopped after he glanced at a clock. "My afternoon class will be arriving shortly. We should do this more often."

"I think we will. I'll have to stop by for tea soon."

"Luna would love that, she gets tired of running the Quibbler from her home office. Next time Hermione is here I'll arrange a date."

Ginny stopped walking and turned around. "Hermione's been here?"

"Yeah, she was here a few weeks ago looking through books in the Restricted Section and in the Professors Library."

_Why would Hermione be here when there is the Conservatory?_ Ginny's forehead wrinkled into a frown from the thought.

"Ginny?"

Ginny broke from her daze and saw Neville giving her a curious expression. "Oh sorry, just lost in my thoughts." She smiled. "But yes, please mention it to Hermione if you see her before I do."

Neville walked Ginny all the way to the gates of Hogwarts. He hugged her and waved goodbye. Ginny exited the gates and headed towards Hogsmeade. Hopefully with Neville's analysis, she'll be able to finalize the evidence from Blackpool. She made her way towards Hogsmeade before disapparated back to her lab.

* * *

Harry landed hard on cold ground. He muttered a string of curses as he pulled himself up while attempting to get his bearings. The portkey had deposited him in the middle of a heavily wooded area. The lofty trees surrounded him with branches that extended in every direction, creating a thick tangle of leafy canopy that blocked out the sky. The forest floor was covered with smaller plants and vegetation that Harry didn't immediately recognize. As he stood up to take a closer look at a nearby tree, he noticed something odd. It was quiet. There were no familiar sounds of forest life one would normally expect, except for an inconsistent birdcall wafting down from the tree canopy.

"Interesting," he muttered to himself. He walked around and noted that in the northwest direction, the terrain went uphill, and in the southeast it went downhill into a valley. If what he read about Phoenix held truth, she would never set up camp in a valley. It was geographically at a disadvantage, and since Phoenix always seeks out the advantageous position, he headed northwest. Since that night at Ginny's, Harry took the initiative to learning all he could about Phoenix and the others involved in the fail mission. The unexpected surprise appearance of Ginny's assistant was extremely useful in granting unlimited access to Ginny's classified back files, providing him with valuable Intel.

Harry had just made it up a steep embankment and was breathing heavily when he encountered the first barrier. It was a simple disillusionment charm. It took him only a minute to temporarily break and replace the false forest and make his way forward. Several meters later he encountered the second one. Trickier than the first, but just as simple to disarm and reinstate before he continue his hike. He had made it through four more barriers, all more difficult and formidable than the previous but still easy to break, when it occurred to him that maybe they were easy to break because they weren't meant for prevention, but instead part of a inconspicuous alarm system. He reached the seventh barrier and stalled, pretending to disarm it when he felt a wand at his throat.

"Either you're getting sloppy, or you had poor training. You of all people should've broken this one with ease."

"And what would've happened if I did?" Harry inquired.

Phoenix stepped around him, her wand still at his throat. "Depends; do it right and you'll survive. One false step and you'll get a nasty taste of the cruciatus._"_

Harry lifted his head to face her. He barely recognized the witch he'd met at the Magus. She stood before him in a ill-fitting black training suit, her hair remained short but brushed carelessly away from her face. She looked pale and tired; the dark circles under her eyes indicated that she hadn't slept in days. But it was when Harry met her eyes that he noted something off, one bright blue eye and a dark brown eye.

"Well, are you going to kill me?" Harry asked.

Phoenix smirked and dropped her wand. "I haven't decided yet. Why are you here?"

"Ginny's been having nightmares."

"Welcome to the club," she grumbled.

"Ginny told me about the mission."

She eyed him with some curiosity and distaste. "I knew this was going to happen. I told her to be upfront with you…Come on."

She waved her hands and the barrier dropped. "Follow me." Harry followed her deeper into the woods.

Harry followed her up a high steep path, the trees began to thin and the ground became rocky. She stopped again and began to chant in a low guttural tone. When she was the done, the trees and skyline shimmered and disappeared, revealing a small wooden gate and the sounds of waves breaking against a rocky shore. Phoenix lead Harry down a set of narrow stone stairs towards a barely visible small cottage jutting out from the shear cliff-side with the ocean churning below it. The air was cold and damp; the ocean spray speckled Harry's glasses. Phoenix opened the weathered door and entered the house. The sounds of the waves ceased once the door was closed. The front room was dark, with candles balanced on multiple leaning towers of books. Phoenix left Harry in the front room and returned from a side room with a towel.

"Here," she tossed it at him. "It can get a bit damp, if you haven't applied a shield charm."

Harry dried off his hair and glasses and took a seat in a well-worn armchair.

"Which brother gave up my location?"

"Jonas."

She muttered a few choice words under her breath before settling down across from him in an equally threadbare armchair. "She's having nightmares again?"

"In D.C., she woke up screaming."

"Damn-it," Phoenix rubbed her face and closed her eyes. "I doubt she ever really did stop having them. How much do you know?"

"Enough that I have questions."

Phoenix stood up and began to pace.

"What exactly happened down there?" Harry asked.

She stopped pacing and stood in front of him. "That depends."

"On what?"

"Who you asking, though there only two known survivors from the mission." She sat down. "That gives you two points of views to consider."

_Two known? _Harry wondered_. _"What's your opinion?"

"Officially, it was a routine reconnaissance mission that failed with unfortunate fatalities."

"Off the record?"

Phoenix laughed sarcastically to herself. "It wasn't a reconnaissance mission, we were sent there on a suicide mission."

* * *

A/N: Finally update, the delay was my old work horse laptop died with majority of the story on it. Fortunately I backed up all the old files, unfortunately I was in the process of backing up the newer files when my processor died. But with alot of hard work and long afternoon's of daydreaming to remember story arc's and ideas, I'm back up to speed again and updates should be forthcoming again...I know I said it before but this time the story framework is pretty much done, just have to polish it and fine tune several things. But hope this chapter is up to par and is satisfying. Thanks to my beta Adriane from taking time off from study Pathophysiology to edit it.

Thanks for Reading,

Enygma


End file.
